Shattered Mind
by GhastlyRevenant
Summary: There's a killer on the loose in the students' community. Stationed where no one expects him to be, he targets Shinozaki Ayumi, but he doesn't plan to kill her right off the bat... *Only light Ayumi x Yoshiki near the end
1. Chapter 1

This story was written in the fashion of a role play. Some parts will be edited to flow better in the style of a story, but it will mostly remain in the same format. I wrote the parts of Yuuya, Yoshiki, Naomi, and Mayu. My friend is responsible for the parts of Ayumi, Sakutaro, and Satoshi. The writing was done by us, but we do not own the franchise or characters included.

Extra characters: Asuka (me) and Nori (my friend)

This is a darker story. If you like our fluffier ones, this is probably not for you. You have been warned.

* * *

The brisk autumn air was a relief on the caged student's lungs. When the lunch bell rang, it felt like most the school shuffled outside to find places to eat where they could enjoy the nice weather. After all, winter would be there before they knew it. Shinozaki Ayumi sat down with one of her friends, Suzumoto Mayu, under one of the trees in the courtyard. **"So, have you been watching the news?"** she questioned as she opened her lunchbox. Disturbing news of murders happening had been rolling constantly on all the channels. So many reporters jumping to analyze this killer. Ayumi felt a little bad how wrapped up she got in watching the reports. It was sickening, but also fascinating in the worst ways.

Mayu opened her lunch, patiently eating away. She looked to Ayumi, pausing to think. She was usually too busy with homework and practicing her drama lines... She swallowed, then lightly shook her head. **"Nope. I'm always the last to know stuff,"** she admitted with a small pout, but then tilted her head. **"What's happening? Is it really serious?"** she asked curiously, keeping her normally bubbly tone out of it in case it was something bad.

Ayumi glanced aside, suddenly doubting herself that she should bring this up during lunch. Or at all. Mayu was a sensitive soul, and she didn't want to send her into any sort of panic. Though, she would probably catch wind of it soon enough. She looked back at Mayu, a solemn expression on her face. **"There have been murders in the area. The cops think they have a potential serial killer on their hands,"** she explained. Her chopsticks poked thoughtfully at her food, her appetite dissolving at the content. **"Two murders so far... one more and he'll be declared one,"** she said. A serial killer was someone who murders more than three victims one at a time in a relatively short interval. Hopefully the cops will catch the person before he can be given the title.

Mayu went silent as Ayumi explained, her hands frozen and her eyes slightly wider. A killer... in their area?! It was bone chilling... Not only did she feel remorse for those two other victims, but if they still hadn't found him, he was still free to kill anyone... Including her, or her friends! She thickly gulped, looking down at her food. **"That's... really scary..,"** she said with a furrowed brow. She never thought that a killer could be around in their city... Then again, it wasn't like they were immune to crazies, but still... It felt surreal... **"I hope they get him...,"** she muttered, fear evident in her tone. Her stomach felt uneasy... She'd have to spend a while with Sakutaro to calm her nerves. She always felt safer in his company...

Ayumi gave a weak smile of agreement. There was always a sort of powerlessness being a citizen in these circumstances. You basically had to cross your fingers and rely on the police force to out predict the killers moves. **"I'm sure they will,"** she said with confidence as she forced herself to eat a bite of sushi. **"Killers always slip up,"** she added in assurance. Although, Ayumi didn't really know much about real-life crimes. She knew a lot about the supernatural... and what she did know about criminals was from day-time cop shows that weren't to be trusted. Still, everything would be fine... **"My parents are fussing over me... They keep telling me that I should never walk alone. I think they're letting themselves get a little too worked up,"** she said with a small frown.

Mayu gave a small reassuring smile, but she sort of felt Ayumi was too relaxed about this all. One could bet anything that she was going to force Sakutaro to walk home with her every time until the killer is caught. Being killed... that was really scary, and making her extremely uneasy. **"I don't know, Ayu-chan... Maybe you _should_ find a walking home buddy,"** she offered, her brows still furrowed as she tried to express her concern for Ayumi's safety, **"At least until he's caught..."**

**"Maybe..."** Ayumi faintly agreed. It was hard to be nervous in the streets she's walked through hundreds of times. She knew the killer was out there, but if she let every case on the news bother her or turn her into a nervous mess, she'd spend her entire life frazzled. Perhaps she would be a little more weary about this case, considering the closeness and severity of it. Caution wouldn't hurt, but she wouldn't let her reach her parent's level of anxiety. **"I don't think anyone lives in my direction, though,"** she added with a furrowed brow. It would be nice to walk with Satoshi everyday, but he lived north of the school while she lived west. Plus, with news of a killer, he was probably eager to get Yuka and himself home.

Mayu was a bit relieved that Ayumi seemed to accept the deal, but then they were met with a dilemma. Ayumi didn't like to trouble others, so they'd have to live in her direction, at least... She didn't know where everyone lived, so she couldn't point out who would be best. **"Ask around then... But maybe you should try and ask within your circle of friends. You never know what kind of people lurk around,"** she said, tossing in another piece of advice to keep her friend from the clutches of the killer.

Ayumi didn't want to look like she was anxious or scared by asking around for people's addresses, but she could tell Mayu probably wouldn't let this topic go. **"Alright, I'll try and ask around,"** she assured her with a light smile. She shut her lunchbox, unwilling to eat another bite. **"Just don't let this make you a paranoid mess, okay?"** she said to Mayu, concerned she may be getting herself too worked up.

Mayu nodded slightly, but wasn't sure she could keep that promise. She was worried for all of her friends... Even the boys. Just because they were stronger, maybe minus Satoshi, the killer was probably an adult. She, too, shut her lunchbox, her appetite shot. **"Okay, I'll try,"** she answered with a small smile, her hands resting on one another. **"Remember though! Ask a friend!"** she repeated as if drilling a lecture into her head. Anyone here, even at school, could be the killer. It was dangerous to go home with somebody you don't know well, like they all knew each other.

Ayumi forced a brighter smile on her face, figuring it would just be best to suck up whatever pride she had to find a friend to walk home with her. It would make her parents, Mayu, and honestly, herself feel better about all this stuff going on. Teachers always lectured the students that they had some weird delusion that they were somehow invincible to the world's dangers. Perhaps it would serve to keep her own mortality in mind. **"Yep, don't worry. I'll definitely find someone,"** she said with a firm nod. Now, with this promise... she'd have to figure out who she knew who lived close.

The girl's smile grew, followed by some laughter and harder to make out words. Dull eyes focused on the two girls, absorbing their whole conversation. The boy that sat under a tree with two other friends was hardly even listening to them.

**"-so then I went to this super cool cave! It was crazy dark, but I wasn't scared! I think our guide was nervous though, and almost fell into one of those deep holes. I bet he was creeped about the killer and all,"** a boy rambled on, seemingly excited but then his voice grew hushed and secretive. The killer was a bit of a school-inappropriate topic, probably because the teachers didn't want them all freaking out. **"What do you think about it, Kizami?"**

Yuuya's eyes slowly trailed over to his fellow senior, seemingly unshaken by all of this. **"It doesn't concern me,"** he said with a nonchalant shrug. His mind was really somewhere else... That girl... She was a second year, wasn't she?... She was quite short for her age... and his junior. Something stirred inside him when he looked at her, a feeling that made a smile want to curl onto his lips, but he refrained from changing his expression.

**"Really? Man, how can you be so chill about everything?!"** the other boy responded, placing his hands behind his head as he gazed at Yuuya with amazement. All he was thinking about, though, was how to get that girl alone...

* * *

Ayumi had felt incredibly bad when she lied to Mayu. She had gotten a little text asking if she found someone... Ayumi had to respond with a lie. Otherwise Mayu would have grabbed Sakutaro and the two would've walked with her home, and it was such a large inconvenience for something that wouldn't happen. It wasn't like it was nighttime when she headed out for home. The sun was still high, and she had a good feeling of her surrounding area. It was a little discouraging to walk alone, since Mayu's nervousness had rubbed off on her a little bit. There just hadn't been a lot of good moments to talk to people, and she hadn't managed to ask any of her friends from student council... Tomorrow she'd find someone.

Yuuya's steps were quiet as he followed along the exact same road the girl was on. She was a little ahead of him, but that was on purpose. He needed to theorize his chances of a successful capture, while staying a respectable distance as to not attract attention. His eyes were shifty as he checked for the coast to be clear. It was a little later than most students stayed at school, but it also wasn't late enough for the ones who stayed over to leave yet, so the road was deserted. What a perfect time... He thought he may have had to wait a while to access the situation more, but there couldn't be a more opportune moment.

Yuuya picked up speed slightly, so he could approach before she made it even to the sight of the train station. His smile grew as he became more impatient, his steps quicker and strides longer. Eventually, he was almost dead on her. He raised his hands, slowing down to her speed just as a tree line was coming up. He quickly grabbed her without any prior warning, his hand firmly grasping her while the other held her mouth shut so no screams could escape. He dragged her into the foliage, the sight of the road disappearing from sight.

He pulled her into a decrepit, large building, that almost blended in with it's surroundings. He slung her further in, to the floor, then shut the heavy door behind him. It's creak echoed, and so did it's loud clunk. He paused, looking down at her with that same dull expression, but only for a moment as it quickly flickered into an insane smile. He wanted to see her initial terror, before officially telling her anything or doing anything to her.

Ayumi had been lost in thought, her mind going over trivial details like homework and dinner. Those thoughts were wiped clean and replaced with fear as strong hands grabbed her. Her first reaction was to release a guttural scream, but that was halted at the firm hand placed over her mouth. The repressed scream vibrated through her, as she fought as much as she could. Adrenaline and fear were the only things she could process flowing through her veins. Even if her kick and squirming did nothing, she had the instinct to fight.


	2. Chapter 2

Ayumi's acknowledgement of the surroundings didn't come into affect until the door clanked loudly, and they were sealed in an abandoned building. Her eyes widened, tears pricking at the corner of them.

On the floor she was trembling in utter panic. Questions that hadn't entered her mind at first began to hit her at a break-neck speed. Why was he doing this? What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he smiling? Where are they? What was going to happen? Was he the killer? Was this really how she was going to die? Why didn't she tell Mayu the truth? Her reaction, once she realized she was no longer bound by his hands, was to scramble back as far from him as possible. She flinched as her back hit a wall. She looked around quickly, no escape route making itself clear. Her breathing was being thrown off, her heart constricting in her chest. She looked up at the man in horror. He was... a senior... at Kisaragi... For a brief moment, she wondered if this was a disgusting prank, but anyone could see that the insanity in his eyes was sincere. **"W-what the hell is this!?"** she yelled at him. Maybe she should have remained silent, but she needed to know what was happening.

Yuuya was amused with her expression of terror. He loved that look... Even as she yelled, seemingly trying to demand an answer, the fear was evident in her eyes. He knew... He had an acute sense of the delicious emotion. Well, despite her having no control of her surroundings, he figured he'd humor her by answering her specific question. **"This is my hobby,"** he answered with a twisted smirk, his dark eyes narrowing at her. He took slow, but long, strides towards towards her, his heavy steps resounding all around. He knelled down near her, eyes analyzing her. He seemed to only get more amused. **"But... you're a different case...,"** he explained, placing his hand gently against her cheek before pushing her chin up so she was in his direct line of sight. **"My little sister,"** he seemed to purr, his hand moving from her face to move through her hair, **"So precious... You won't be killed... Yet, at least."** He paused, his hand stationary against her hair before retreating, and he stood to loom over her with a menacing look. **"Little sister has a special seat to watch my hobby... Don't you feel honored?"** he asked with a small tilt of his head. He may have looked relaxed, but his eyes were dead set on her, and his body was ready to deter any attempt to run.

Ayumi felt like she was in between stomach-twisting nausea and an uncontrollable panic attack as he answered her. He was the killer, then? Even without blood or a weapon in sight, there was something in the core of her being that made her wholly aware that there was something very twisted and dark inside of this person. She shrank back at his approach, the wall keeping her prisoner to the spot she crawled into. The clap of his shoes against the old floors made her stomach drop further and further. She wasn't ready to die! A small sound of terror escaped her as he knelled in front of her. She wanted to disappear at that moment. Just melt out of existence. She flinched as his hand made contact with her cheek before forcing her chin up to make her meet his eyes. Her jaw clenched as he began to explain her being a 'different case.' Her eyes were welling with tears of unadulterated fear. Her mind had another moment of complete blankness at the words that followed. _'Little... sister...?'_ She felt a rush of disgust crawling under her skin like maggots as his hand moved through her hair in what she assumed was meant to be affectionate but only made her sick. It seemed like... a sick, perverted fantasy or something. The news of her death being postponed couldn't lessen the weight of panic on her shoulders. How the hell was she supposed to absorb all of this!? An upperclassmen is keeping her hostage to pretend she's his little sister so she can watch as he- Her hands grabbed one another tightly. Her breathing was erratic as he retreated from her. Even with his claims that she would be living a bit longer, the fear of death at any moment was looming over her head. He was intimidating with broad shoulders and the height to loom over her, even if she had been standing. He could kill her with his bare hands if he so decided. It was the rawest emotion she's ever felt in that moment. The closeness of death and the helplessness that she couldn't do anything. Her eyes shifted to finally look up at him, a resounding 'no' in her head at his question. She wasn't honored. This was a curse. Though, with everything he was saying, she could only find it in herself to respond one way. **"I'm not your little sister,"** she told him with as leveled a voice as she could manage, her eyes set on his. She was Hinoe's little sister. That was the only person in the world allowed to use that title with her.

Yuuya watched with satisfaction as she took in her whole situation. But when she spoke, her tone was still irritatingly level... Well, that would change within time. His smile disappeared at her comment, his eyes glued onto her with malice, though his prior insane expression came back in a snap. **"But you are... A darling little sister, who's mine and mine alone,"** he corrected her with a strong voice, beating down any say she had in the matter. **"A precious little sister that should follow the rules... unless she wants to get punished,"** he informed with a consistent joyful tone. He wanted to show her what he could do today, but he needed a new victim... Maybe he could get one tonight, bring them here, and then start tomorrow... That sounded good.

Ayumi's entire body tensed as his expression shifted to a crueler nature. It was gone in a moment, but the memory would burn itself into her brain. She realized that she may not want to push him, given the fact he was completely unstable, yet she could hardly imagine letting herself play this role. Each time he called her 'little sister', an awful chill was rattled down her spine. She hated him with an intensity she's never felt before. The joyful way he spoke about the twisted game he was playing... It was disgusting. She moved to try and stand up, but her legs were trembling too much to support any weight so she was stuck on the ground. It didn't matter... she couldn't run. She just didn't want to lie down and accept all this either. She wasn't his sister. **"No! I'm not! I'm not your little sister, you twisted bastard!"** she yelled, the control over her voice in shambles. Their was a lump in her throat as she fought back tears. **"I'm not your's,"** she added with a cry. She couldn't play along with this. She refused.

Yuuya didn't change his expression as she spoke out in protest, though he did enjoy her eyes on the verge of tears. He got back down on his knees and grabbed her by the hair, a lot more of a violent motion than the affectionate one than before. There was a crazed look in his wide eyes, his smile unwavering. **"Little sisters should know that big brothers are in charge... If you don't do as told, it'll only get worse,"** he told her as he tugged her up by her hair to be at eye level with him.

Ayumi felt herself began to shrink back down as he moved back down to his knees. A small whimper escaped her throat as he roughly handled her by her hair. She cringed at his voice, her stomach dropping as she wondered exactly what he would end up demanding of her. Her head hurt at the forceful yanking, but she realized that he could hurt her much worse. Her eyes shifted down to the ground, unable to reply. Any words that came out would be venomous, which would only lead to pain. If this went on long... maybe someone would find this place and her before it was too late.

Yuuya examined her features a moment, coming to the conclusion she had nothing more to say... She would learn eventually, that she should be a good little sister if she wanted to live. He pushed her back to the ground and stood back up, staring down at her for a second. "... You'll learn with time." He turned, picking up some chains that were to the side, but he kept a careful watch on her. He walked over, dropping the heavy restraints to the ground before squatting back down in front of her. One hand gathered up both of hers, while one knee held down her legs. "You didn't bring anything, did you? If so, I'll have to confiscate your possessions," he said with a dark look, raising his other hand to search her for anything. His hand explored the entirety of her uniform, pulling from her pockets her cellphone, keys, and other such things. He removed her hair ties as well, just to be safe, then thoroughly searched through her hair for bobby pins. She seemed clean now... He placed the items to the side, grabbing the chains with one hand while his other grabbed her wrist, then roughly jerked her up to stand. Whether she had gotten to her feet or not, he moved her over to a dark area of the floor, near the middle, where a structure pole stood. He pulled her hand down, chaining her wrist to the pole with multiple circles around them, then locked them together with a combination lock. He jerked at her arm, to make sure her hand was secure, not really caring the damage it did. Seemed stable... He was confident in his work, so he stood and backed up. **"I don't have another friend to resume my hobby with today... so you'll just stay here alone until tonight. The fun won't really start until tomorrow, but at least you can get to know our visitor,"** he told her, walking over to where she had once sat and picked up the items he had pulled from her. **"I'm leaving you with one hand to do whatever you will with it... Like, eat, when I bring you something, other things of that nature, and... Well, you get the idea,"** he explained, guessing she was confused why he had only locked up one of her hands. He turned and walked slowly to the door, glancing to one of the large cracked windows, seeing the sunset past the treeline. **"Winter's coming... It'll be dark sooner than normal, huh?"** he commented somewhat randomly, before casting Ayumi a look with a large grin, **"I'll be back later... Try not to get too lonely."** With that, he left, shutting the heavy door behind him and leaving Ayumi in the deathly quiet abandoned building.

Ayumi wanted to tell him to piss off as he assured her she would learn. What did he want? For her to call him 'Big Brother' and play the cutesy little sister act? She really wasn't sure what he wanted from her, but she knew no matter how the role was supposed to play out, she didn't want to do it. She watched as he grabbed chains, her stomach twisting with horrible anxiety. She should have realized he wouldn't just trap her in a room to sit as she wanted. He would want more insurance to make sure she didn't escape. Ayumi stiffened as he came back over to her. Her breath hitched uneasily as he held her down. She didn't even have a moment to answer his questions as his hand began to search her. It was disgusting, even if it wasn't sexual. The contact made her nauseated, and the fact he felt like he had the freedom to examine wherever he wanted pissed her off. She watched her cell phone, her last connection to the world, was taken away. Should she have tried to call someone in that frantic second? He would've probably broken her hand if she tried... but... still, she felt regret burn that she didn't think to try. She watched him rid her of everything she had in possession. She hardly had a moment to reflect before she was jerked onto her legs. The roughness shot pains through her arms, her legs taking longer than they should to relearn how to walk. They were by a pole a moment later. She watched helplessly as her wrist was connected to the pole by heavy chains. She gasped in pain as he jerked her arm, the metal clanking painfully against the bone of her wrist. She felt tears horribly close, but she didn't want him to see them. Her breathing was ragged as she looked up at him._ 'A-another friend?'_ she thought in confusion. Then it hit her. He would still kill people, even if she was here. She was fulfilling some role as his little sister, for whatever reason... but, a killer still needed to kill. The tears became that much harder to fight back. She could hardly focus on his explanation on why he allowed her a free hand. She perked in panicked alert as he moved towards the door, catching his odd comment about winter. His grin wiped away confusion with more heart-clenching fear. The heavy door that shut behind him rattled her bones. She tried to gain some control on her breathing. She looked around the abandoned room, coated in lost time. She looked solemnly at her chained wrist and the pole to which it was attached with. The silence was only broken by her own uneven pants that eventually gave way to body-wracking sobs.

* * *

Much later, when the building was pitch black except for the moonlit shape of the windows, the door clanked open again. There were those heavy steps, but there was also another noise... A dragging sort of noise. Yuuya came into sight once his head, and eyes, were lit up by the moon, his look more blank and resembling the one he normally wore at school. He bent down near Ayumi, dragging whatever he had in hand closer. There was more clanking of chains, then the click of a lock. He stood and backed up, his smile reappearing. **"Play nice,"** he said in a quiet hum, turning to leave again. Tomorrow, it'd really get exciting... Not only would he have the pain of his victim, but the pain of his little sister as well.

Ayumi wished she could just fall into a permanent sleep, but the emotions coursing through her left her high-strung. Her sobbing eventually had died away into thick silence. That was broken by the loud door announcing this man's return. She tensed, her puffy red eyes trying to make out the shapes. It was difficult in the darkness, though her eyes had adjusted over time to allow her a somewhat decent sight. His blank expression was just as unnerving as his crazy ones... Her eyes narrowed slightly at his couple of words before he was gone again. She looked over to see the person who had been made prisoner along side of her. Her throat tightened as she stared for a moment, the heaviness of everything happening weighing down on her. Someone had to find them. This couldn't actually be happening to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Somewhere in the middle of the night, the boy beside her gasped into life, seemingly awakening after being knocked out cold. His breaths were heavy, his eyes wide and panicked. Where was this?! What was happening?! Before he blacked out, he... he was going to a club? Then... something grabbed him, and everything faded. His breaths were ragged, so much so that coughs started to erupt from his throat. Though, then he noticed in the darkness that there was a figure beside him, very close. Then he noted how sore his hand was, tried to move it, but groaned in pain at the pulling of the chains on skin. His wrist... it felt broken. He panted harder, his mind in a frenzy. He didn't know who was beside him, or if they were even alive, so he didn't dare touch them or try to speak... That, and the ability to make coherent statements, or even thoughts, had left him.

Ayumi couldn't find sleep. There were moments her panicked brain fuzzed out into an odd state that floated between consciousness and unconsciousness, but she always was snapped out of it by the faintest noise. She felt like an animal on alert, only able to get a couple minutes of rest before snapping its eyes back open to examine if its surroundings were still safe. The man wasn't here, so it was as safe as she could be, but she didn't know when he would come back. The only time she would guess her safety was during school hours. At the gasp from the boy, she snapped out of one of her dazed moments to look at him. Her heart thrummed painfully in her chest as she wondered how long he would live. The company didn't do much to lift her spirits. She wouldn't wish this situation upon anyone... **"H... hello?"** she asked quietly, unsure of what else to say but unwilling to keep silent.

The boy turned his head towards the person beside him when they spoke to him, somewhat relieved that he wasn't sitting next to a dead body, but he was still incredibly terrified. He swallowed thickly, trying to find his voice, because maybe talking to another live person may calm his nerves... At least, a little. **"Uh... h-hey... Wh-who are you?"** he asked in between heavy breaths, his chest heaving, but he was trying to slow himself down. Getting panicked wouldn't help him at all... He needed to be more sound of mind if he was even going to begin searching for a way out of this.

Ayumi could hear the terror in his voice. She wondered if she had the same emotion seeping from her voice as well. It would probably be odd if either of them didn't, considering the situation they found themselves in. **"I'm Shinozaki Ayumi,"** she introduced herself. She was trying to make him out in the darkness, but it was difficult. There was no light but the moonlight outside. She could only imagine how dark this place would be on a dark moon... if she survived until then. **"And... you are?"** she asked quietly. Was it smart to get to know this person? She didn't know, but she certainly couldn't ignore him.

The boy paused, still in the process of slowing his breaths so he could talk easier. He didn't know this girl... but having someone around was more comforting than being completely alone. **"I'm... Kirijo Asuka...,"** he answered, swallowing thickly again as his breaths evened and his chest relaxed. His mind couldn't think of something else to ask her, his thoughts consumed with finding a way out, and what would happen if he didn't in time...

Ayumi took a moment to consider the name, concluding it was definitely a stranger in front of her. After names were exchanged, she found herself falling into silence. Normal conversation was unacceptable in a situation like this. Schools, years, friends, and family... they weren't conversations that she could imagine they'd want to touch on. Then again, a talk about their actual situation wouldn't be much better. Ayumi wasn't so sure she wanted to explain the creepy, unsettling fact that this killer had assigned her the title of 'little sister.' There was nothing about any of this she wanted to talk about. She moved her wrist, cracking it as she tried to feel if her hand was small enough to slip through. No... the metal was rubbing her skin raw already. She looked over to where the chains were tied and locked with an uneasy frown.

Asuka took deep, calming breaths, eyes shifting around the place for any obvious way out. He glanced to the chains, and then to the lock. Then, he noticed only one hand was chained. His eyes went to and from his hand and the lock, suddenly shifting around nervously, as if in search of something. His back arched against the pole they were attached to so he could lift himself up. His wrist was moved, which earned a small grunt of pain, but he kept searching his back pockets. The hope that had infected him quickly drained from his eyes. He settled back down, his hand falling to the floor as doom settled in his mind. **"My pocket knife... he took it..,"** he muttered, his tone empty as he saw his death was imminent. He couldn't pull himself free, slip out, nothing... The fear was still there, and growing, but his mind was more or less blanked with the terror of his approaching demise.

Ayumi heard him moving, so her gaze settled on him as he moved to search his own back pockets. Her brow furrowed in worry, her heart rising slightly in hope that maybe he had something that could get them out. Though, the hope was shot down before it could take real flight. **"He confiscates everything,"** she said with a sad sigh. He even went the extra length to take her hair ties. Which, she would guess he'd be cautious of even the smallest possible way of escape. After all, his 'hobby' would be completely destroyed if he was ever caught.

Asuka fell silent, the true doom of their situation coming upon him. That man that kidnapped them... He seemed crafty, and left no outs for escape... He gulped, having more trouble keeping his breaths normal. **"We're... we're doomed, aren't we?"** he choked out, his mentality turning fatalist quickly after all other thoughts were exhausted. His limbs shook uncontrollably, his stomach making him more and more nauseous as he pictured those bodies on the news. They were mutilated... and now they'd be just like them...

Ayumi bit her cheek, the voicing aloud of their hopeless situation making her body begin to tremble again. It felt like it wasn't going to happen. The cops would come busting in, or they would think of some brilliant method of escape. but this wasn't any type of show or anime. The likelihood of that man doing what he wanted with them was higher than anything else. **"I don't see... how we could escape...,"** she said in a roundabout way of agreeing with him. To declare 'yes, we're doomed' would never force itself out of her throat. She didn't want to give up completely, but all they could do was sit and wait. Escape was not an option.

Asuka went deathly quiet, just taking that as a yes, even if she hadn't phrased it that way. He wasn't ready to die... He wanted to experience so much more! This wasn't supposed to happen! He... had a date tomorrow with his long time girlfriend, it was their two year anniversary... They were supposed to have a family, grow old together... This couldn't be happening! His stage of fear went from silence to breaking down and beginning to choke out sobs, his shoulders shaking with each heavy breath. He didn't want to die! This wasn't fair!

Ayumi's jaw clenched as she heard Asuka breaking down in the otherwise silent room. It made it harder for her to keep herself together. The fear of death was crippling to the mind and body, especially given the fact that there was nothing that could prepare anyone for this situation. This wasn't cancer, there hadn't been a process of grief and accepting. This was a cruel man deciding to cut lives off on a whim. And what would happen tomorrow at school? Who would watch over her class if she wasn't around? Her friends... And right now, her family must be panicking. Her parents frantically calling her phone... probably in contact with the police. Everything was being ripped away for no good reason. Even if she was his... 'little sister'... he made it clear that once he had his fun with her, whatever that meant, she was going to die as well. Her process would drag out... would she have to watch this boy die? And how many more after him?

* * *

It was in the afternoon of the next day when the door clanked open, Yuuya coming in and shutting it behind him. He came towards the two, unlocking Asuka's chains and dragging him to sit further away, directly in front of Ayumi. Asuka was panicking and struggling, but Yuuya's grip didn't give. **"So, little sister, are you ready to have some fun?"** he asked with a curled smile, though no matter her answer, he would get started at the sound of her voice. He had brought some things with him... Just some random household items, but he'd reveal those later.

Daylight brought to light her awful anxieties once again. She wanted time to stop so desperately, the looming threat of the killer was overwhelming. When the door did open to have the man come in, she was worried she might be sick. It was like watching the last few grains of sand fall through the hourglass, although she knew his reappearance was just the beginning of something even worse than fear. She watched with a pained expression as Asuka was pulled in front of her. Her eyes darted up at the killer as he addressed her. The question was cruel, acting as if she really had any say in the matter. She couldn't just sit quietly and accept what would happen, though. **"Please! Don't do this!"** she begged him.

Yuuya smiled in amusement at her plea, glancing down at Asuka. **"Why not? It's fun,"** he told her, moving his school bag from his shoulder and then going to the floor, picking up something he had brought much earlier. He pushed Asuka to the ground, then planted his foot firmly against his back, so he was unable to move. **"Do you know what this is, little sister?"** he asked, gesturing the item to turn her attention to it. It looked rather heavy, most likely a tool. **"This is a bench vice... It's for holding wood in place while you saw or work on it... As it's name suggests, it's grip is rather... powerful,"** he explained, glancing to the device with a large smile, **"Though... you probably know I'm not using it for wood..."**

Ayumi wanted this cruel man dead... She wanted something to strike him down where he stands, but that wouldn't happen. It seems he wanted someone to witness his work or something. She could hardly begin to dissect his fucked up head. She watched him cautiously as he picked something up. Her eyes flickered to the tool, something that she wasn't familiar with but she could tell right away it was some type of clamp. His explanation and unsettling smile made bile rise in her throat. He was going to torture Asuka. **"That's sick!"** she gasped, looking at him in disgust. **"You're sick! This isn't normal! You can't do this!"** she was yelling, hatred boiling her stomach.

Yuuya just chuckled at her shouts, moving to push his knee into Asuka's back instead of his foot. He grabbed his wrist, planting the tool on the ground and fitting his hand into it. He winded it until Asuka groaned in pain, still holding his wrist in case he tried to pull it out. He looked up at Ayumi with a curled smile, his eyes narrowed. **"Anything normal is boring... You shouldn't let the norm hold you back, little sister,"** he informed her with an intrigued tone, raising a brow at her. His hand was on the winder that tightened the clamp, but it was motionless for the most part.

Ayumi stared in horror as his hand was moved into the vice, her stomach twisting uneasily. She could only imagine what a state of mind Asuka was in. She felt like she was going insane, and her hand wasn't even the one being threatened. The killer was talking to her, waiting on winding it tighter. Again, a false sense of power... that if she could say the right thing that maybe he wouldn't clamp this stranger's bones and flesh into a muddied mess. Her eyes squeezed shut, just the idea of the imagery made her want to crawl inside herself and die. This was all so wrong. **"There's a difference between skirting outside the lines and just being insane,"** she challenged him, something that was a little easier with her eyes shut. The second the words escaped, her brain froze in fear. She had to shut up. She shouldn't feed his sick need...

Yuuya, again, laughed with amusement. He loved her fear and disgust! It was absolutely entertaining. **"The more out of the line, the more exciting life can be,"** he said with a slight purr, turning the winder slowly. It was a little difficult, but he was being sluggish to drag out his terror and pain. Asuka screamed as the pressure increased on his hand, feeling his knuckles start to crack as they were pressed together. He tried to thrash about and pull his hand out of danger, his actions becoming primal, but Yuuya had him securely pinned.

Ayumi's throat tightened up. The desire to debate his impeding on Asuka's autonomy to fulfill his own sick urges wasn't present. Her ability was taken from her at Asuka's screams. She couldn't tell if she was hearing his bone crack or if her mind was betraying her by creating such a sound in her head. This wasn't right! What the hell could they have done to deserve this? Wasn't their supposed to be some goddamn balance in the world!? Her eyes squeezed ever so tighter, her head beginning to ache from the pressure. Her head turned as she tried to block it out, but the scream bounced off the walls of the abandoned building with such force that she could never hope to ignore the primal noise. How could no one hear this? Were they so far from everything that it didn't matter?

The torture continued, until a much more defining crack sounded and echoed through the building. Blood poured from the crack of the tool, and as the plates pulled away, the mess that used to be Asuka's hand set in a bloody pool. Skin was still on it, but his bones were shattered and stuck through his hand in a smashed mess. Asuka was still gasping and crying in pain, but the screams of the initial agony had died down. At least, for now... **"Hmm... that was fun... But your injured hand should be more so, hm?"** he asked with a maniacal chime. He fully removed his hand, carelessly tossing it to the side. It landed in the blood with a sickening splat, along with a spike in Asuka's screams. Yuuya lifted the bench vice and placed it on the other side, holding his other hand in position. Asuka was shouting, desperately trying to get away, but each pull against Yuuya's grip made his voice grow in volume, his broken wrist being pulled into further injury.

_'Don't look, don't look, don't look,'_ Ayumi mentally screamed at herself. She couldn't stop the sounds from piercing her ears and vibrating through her bones, but she could stop the image from being put in her head. She didn't have to see the exposed bone or pooling blood. She regretted every horror movie she had ever watched in that moment, the true scream of someone genuinely in pain and nearing death was so much more raw and horrifying than an actor could ever fake. She was sure the violence was worse as well, the blood coming from Asuka not being died syrup or whatever trick they used. This was all real. Tears slipped from her shut eyes, her breathing becoming ragged as everything inside of her trembled in fear.

Yuuya began working on his other hand, the sounds coming from Asuka seemingly even more raw than before. His body kept instinctively trying to pull his hand away from the pain, only causing his wrist more grief. Within thirty minutes, which had felt like an eternity to the boy in agony, both of his hands were destroyed beyond recognition. Yuuya made a small hum of disappointment, letting his hand drop to the side like junk. **"It's too bad I have to be home early... I wish we could play some more, but I only have about thirty more minutes... I guess that's enough,"** he muttered, lifting Asuka's head by his hair and sliding the bench vice underneath him. His gasps and screams were filled with unadulterated terror and pain, his eyes squarely on the tool that was caked in his own blood. He resisted with all his might when Yuuya pushed his head down, but it was to no avail. He just wasn't strong enough. The plates tightened and held his neck in place, and Asuka felt like he was going to throw up with the unbearable queasiness in his stomach. Yuuya slowly winded the contraption shut, the cracks becoming louder, and Asuka's screams began to turn into more of a fit of coughing and gurgling. There was a final, grotesque _CRACK_ of bone. Asuka's spine split, some bones stabbing into his esophagus. He threw up a last spurt of blood, some coughs pulling up more blood that splattered against Ayumi's leg, before his life gave out. The process had been slow to his death, as Yuuya had used every last second available to him.

Time passed by at a painful crawl for... well, however long the bastard had been at it. At no point did Ayumi get relief from the sickness constricting her insides. She wasn't even the one being tortured, but she could sympathize with Asuka to a painful degree. She'd be in his position at some point. Who knows how broken her state of mind will be. She tried to envision herself somewhere else, drowning out Asuka's ever-increasing screams with the sounds of waves crashing or idle chatter of schoolmates. Her imagination just couldn't beat the reality happening around her, though. She couldn't see what was happening. She was content being blind to the events. Although, the way Asuka's screams morphed into horrible gurgles and spluttering, she had to guess that something was happening to his throat. Then the cracks... followed by the horrible final snap. Her entire body flinched as if her neck had been shut between metal plates. There was a splash. Oh god, her leg was sprayed. She was going to puke. Her eyes snapped open at the wetness on her leg. She didn't mean for it to happen, they just snapped open. The blood and bones puddled onto the floor like a sick concoction. Her free hand moved to her mouth to try and suppress screams. Her mind was shut down to fear, the dead person in front of was someone she had talked to last night. She had seen him alive, and now he was dead. His neck crushed, his hands mashed to unidentifiable piles of skin, bone, and blood. Her stomach twisted, her mouth suddenly salivating an awful amount. She tried to bite it down, swallow it, but after a moment her body jerked as she vomited. At the very least she had been able to turn her head to avoid getting it all over herself. The lack of food and water in the past day had led to it not being very much, but the stomach acid burned on her tongue. The taste and smell of everything around her made her continue to gag, but her body had nothing to rid itself of.

Yuuya chuckled with satisfaction, lifting himself up to stand above the body. His eyes carefully watched Ayumi, her psychological torture only adding to his pleasure. There was something about seeing two different pains... that he _really_ liked. He glanced down at the bleeding body, bending down to remove the crushed bits and pieces that used to be Asuka's neck from the bench vice. He stood again, grabbing Asuka's collar and lifting him from the floor. Blood poured from his neck, increasing the already large pool of blood that crept towards Ayumi. **"Don't throw up too much, little sister... I can't bring food until tomorrow, so you better not waste what you already have,"** he advised her with a twisted grin, his eyes narrowed at her, **"Last time you ate... was yesterday with that cute friend of yours, wasn't it? You should try to keep it down, so you can last until tomorrow."** He dragged Asuka's body from the building, disappearing for some time. He came back to do some cleaning, for the next victim, but after that he was gone, bidding Ayumi farewell. The sun was still bright through the windows, lighting up the crimson stains that remained from the kill.

Ayumi couldn't understand how he could be so cavalier with Asuka's dead body. What was he going to do with it? She hoped he took it far away. She couldn't stand looking at it. His eyes... sightless and widened. She glared at the murderer as he advised her. It wasn't something she was choosing to do, her body just kept convulsing in disgust. The taste of vomit was heavy in her mouth. Oh god, she was going to have to live with this taste in her mouth? Her gagging cut into coughing, which still hurt her chest but was easier on her stomach. She grimaced as he mentioned her and... Mayu. He had been watching her? That was... really creepy. The observation of Mayu struck her with fear. This bastard was close to all her friends and classmates every day. None of them would know he was the reason for her sudden disappearance. The thought just made her even worse off. She just remained quiet as he thankfully at least cleaned. Although, she knew it wasn't for her sake. He probably liked a somewhat clean... ergh, 'work station.' Once she was alone for the night, she found her gaze focused on the stains. People... had a lot of blood in them. Would she bleed that much when he eventually cut through her skin? Would anyone ever find her body? Her eyes were dulled in pain, tears beginning to flow out of them. **"I'm sorry, Asuka,"** she whispered into the empty room. She knew what it meant to be isolated in that moment. She leaned back against the pole, eyes glued on the spot Asuka's body had laid. She could do nothing... She was only an observer in this sick hobby.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuuya came back the next day with food in hand. He placed it in front of her, backing up and sitting a few small feet away. He grinned darkly at her, waiting a few moments before speaking. **"I'm not leaving until you eat... If you refuse to, I'll just have to punish you until you do,"** he told her simply, since he didn't want her starving herself. He wanted her to be alive for much longer. He wanted to get every ounce of joy out of this.

Ayumi looked at the food blankly. Her empty stomach hurt, but her appetite was so shot she couldn't even imagine swallowing it. Her eyes shifted to look at him as he spoke, a hatred burning in her stomach. Her eyes narrowed at him, a deep frown on her face. She wondered what exactly 'punish' meant. An earlier death? She couldn't say she'd hate that. She looked back at the food, debating if she should try. What would be better? Pride and hatred, along with lack of appetite made her want to ignore the food. The rational, smarter side told her to just go along with his demands. She waited for a long moment to decide she had no interest in eating, especially under his demand.

Yuuya waited, staring at her, but eventually made a small hum in understanding. It was expected she'd be reluctant. He stood, coming closer to grab her hair. **"You should know being rebellious will get you nowhere... But I guess I have to teach you so first,"** he said with a blank, cruel expression. He struck her with a quick punch on her cheek, letting her hair go afterword. **"Eat,"** he repeated, but his tone was lower and more demanding.

Ayumi's jaw clenched tight as he grabbed her by her hair. A small, pained sound rumbled at the back of her throat. She glared at him as he spoke, his cruel expression made her insides turn with fear. She couldn't let him get what he wanted so easily. The strike was admittedly unexpected, she hadn't guessed that he would pull a punch so quickly. It made sense, though. The worse a single punch could do was bruise someone. It hurt badly, the impact rattling her head and sending a pulsing pain down her cheeks to her jawline. She tasted blood spilling from her gums that cut against her teeth. As she was released and commanded, she stared at the food. Her head hurt, a lot. She had never been in a fight before, much less had any physical violence done to her. Her free hand moved to her cheek as she cringed. **"No,"** she growled at him. The pain didn't matter. She wouldn't let him have so much free reign over her. She refused to make things easier.

Yuuya seemed disgruntled by her disobedience. He gave a frustrated huff and stomped on her stomach, holding back his strength of course. Well... if she didn't eat today, it wouldn't be the end of her... He didn't have the patience to deal with this today. Maybe the pain her stomach caused her would break her down quicker. Once she realized the agony of starvation, she'd cave in. He turned his head, guessing he'd 'give up' for now. She could go a week without food if she wanted. The other, more urgent need was a lot easier to force down her throat. He knelled down again, grabbing her jaw and forcing her mouth open. He pulled a water bottle from his school bag, pouring the water into her mouth. He wouldn't lift the bottle from her mouth until she swallowed, which her body would probably do from instinct eventually.

Ayumi felt herself unable to breathe when he stomped on her stomach. The wind was completely knocked out of her, and a wave of nausea came crashing down on her once again. She was taking heavy pants as she tried to recover from the hit. She hardly was beginning to catch her bearings when he came back down to her level. He grabbed her jaw, her head tried to yank away from him immediately, but his grip was too strong. The water came flooding into her mouth, something she cursed herself for not expecting. She hated how much of a relief it was to her dry mouth that still had the tinge of taste from vomiting yesterday. She coughed at first, unprepared and unwilling to swallow. After the initial coughs, her throat began to move to swallow the liquid.

Yuuya felt pleased again as her throat began to swallow the water. He waited for the whole bottle to be depleted, so she could last until next time. Once that was done, he took the bottle from her mouth and stood, stepping away. **"Starving yourself won't accomplish anything... You'll just be causing yourself needless pain... So be smart, and take what has been given to you,"** he told her, putting the empty bottle into his bag. **"If you don't comply soon, I'll just have to punish others in your stead. That would be a shame... for another to bear **_**your**_** consequence,"** he said with a casual toss of his hand, turning to leave. He wouldn't bring in another until a couple days' time. He liked to pace himself.

Ayumi took a sharp, deep breath as the water finally ran out. She was panting heavily, wiping some water that had dribbled down her chin away with her sleeve. She watched him with hard eyes as he seemed to collect himself to leave. Her expression faltered at mention of punishment to others. _'Dammit!'_ she cursed. Of course he wouldn't let her starve to death. Her eyes moved down to her lap, the inevitability and helplessness crushing her. Would it matter if others suffered her consequence? Won't he torture them all in the same way, regardless of her actions? Was she willing to risk that? She whimpered quietly to herself. No matter what she did, he would get his way. There was no winning for her in this.

* * *

Yoshiki had been a wreck after he found out Ayumi was missing. He saw her... just the day before. She had student council, so he had left without even saying bye, figuring she was busy. Was that the last time he'd see her? His stomach turned horribly as he thought more and more about it, how that day might be his last day with Ayumi. _No... no, she can't be dead! Not Shinozaki... I didn't even..._ His mind was a mess of grief, it took all he had just to drag himself to school. A classroom without Ayumi in it... Everything felt foreign, and looking at anything gave him a horrible sense of nostalgia. She had been just fine... With that smiling face, laughing and talking with everyone... Now she was gone. No one knew where she was. He didn't want to imagine the worst case scenario, but it wouldn't leave his head. It hurt horribly whenever the thought came up. _She's dead._

Yoshiki sat silently at lunch with the others, just staring at his food. He couldn't eat... he had no appetite. His eyes were also tired, but he couldn't sleep. The last two nights had been restless, and if he did close his eyes, he was plagued with terrifying dreams. His head felt dizzy, and everything felt like it was fake lately... He hadn't talked to any of his friends, not even Satoshi. He always felt detached from everything... He felt empty, and consumed with misery and concern for Ayumi, for the girl he held dear more than _anyone_ else. He looked away from his food, his eyes dull and tired.

The life had been sucked out of the classroom as it become apparent Ayumi was missing. It was impossible to believe. Satoshi kept expecting to glance to her seat during class and see her there, scribbling down notes furiously as normal. But, every time he looked... just an empty seat. It was damn near impossible to keep trying to go on with their lives. Lessons had to resume as normal, but the missing class representative hung heavily on everyone's mind. Some were carrying on better than others, while others were obviously near tears throughout the entire day. Although, Yoshiki just seemed to have disappeared along with her.

Lunch was an awkward period. The group of friends, those who had been closest to Ayumi, were stuck between silence and trying to have normal conversations. He glanced at Yoshiki, brow furrowed in concern. Had Yoshiki been eating at all? Even if his own appetite had wavered, he still managed to get a few mouth bites of food in him. Satoshi could just go home and check his computer constantly for incoming news. Yoshiki had a job he had to go to, or else he couldn't afford rent.

**"A boy's body has been found,"** Sakutaro suddenly spoke up. Under the rim of his glasses were dark circles, which were probably on everyone's eyes at this point. Satoshi tensed a bit at the topic. It was probably Sakutaro's odd way of trying to comfort everyone. After all, it wasn't her body...

Mayu sat quietly at the lunch table, her hands clenched at her lap. She blinked at Sakutaro's news, trying to see the bright side, but even that was cruel. Her bottom lip quivered, her mind racing with worry over Ayumi. She had told her not to worry... that she'd find somebody to go home with... but... she didn't come back. Finally, a sob broke through, and with that, her entire composure fell to pieces. She began crying, holding her hands over her eyes as she doubled over. It felt like she already knew that they had lost Ayumi forever... Even if her body hadn't been found, it's like their friendship was severed by death. She felt miserable... Naomi looked down with a sorrowful expression, while Yoshiki remained in the same zombie-like state.

The silence was broken by Mayu's sobs, sending Satoshi's own composure down the drain. He could bite back the intense emotions Mayu was showing, but he felt his own fears magnified with her sobs. Still, they had to stay positive. **"Suzumoto... we don't know what's happened yet. There's still a chance everything can turn out fine," **Satoshi said with as much confidence as he could. It was false hope. Three days in with no word... even without a body visible, Ayumi had to be in an awful position.

**"That's right! Shinozaki isn't a lost cause. Let's try to keep up hope,"** Seiko encouraged with a subdued smile.

Sakutaro gave them both sideways look. They were both lying. To some degree, at the very least. Still, seeing Mayu cry always sank him down to the deepest pits of depression. He shouldn't have made that comment, but it was too late now. Even if they were feeding her false hope, he couldn't help but be wishful that she'd latch onto it.

Mayu tried to listen to the hopeful comments of Satoshi and Seiko, but she just had a horrible feeling in her gut. Still, she attempted to calm down her sobs, and constantly rubbed at her eyes with her sleeves to dry them. **"I... I should have made her come with us,"** she cried miserably, sniffling and beginning to hiccup. She didn't want to flat out dismiss the others' encouragement, since she really did want to believe Ayumi could still be saved, but she couldn't find it in herself to agree, either. More than anything, she felt guilty, and was constantly blaming herself when she lay in bed at home, crying. If she had just made her walk home with her and Sakutaro... she'd be fine! She'd still be in class, making sure everything was organized and such, and having fun with them...

Sakutaro looked at Mayu in concern, feeling useless in helping her deal with this. Her best friend was missing, while a killer was on the loose. Odds are the two may never see each other again. The guilt she felt would eat her alive if she continued on like this. He shifted closer, putting a hand on her shoulder. **"You can't blame yourself for this, Mayu,"** he said sternly. **"You don't know if any altered paths would be better,"** he tried to explain. Who knows how this killer operated. Ayumi could have been targeted specifically. **"Why don't we print more posters after school and then go into the city and post them?"** he offered gently. The more people who knew Ayumi's face, the better. Plus, it's something Mayu could do, instead of sitting inside her room crying.

Mayu uncovered her face and looked to Sakutaro as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She buried her sobs deep into her chest to listen to him talk, fighting back tears. She gulped, wiping her face one last time before nodding lightly. **"Okay...,"** she muttered, sniffling once more. Even if she still felt like she would never see Ayumi again, Sakutaro had a way of calming her down, no matter really what he said. His voice just helped her come down from bursts of sorrow. **"Thank you, Shige-nii,"** she said after clearing her throat, trying to keep it from cracking.

Sakutaro felt himself relax a little bit, even though he knew that there was only so long before posters and other methods wouldn't work. In some way, he hoped closure would find them if Ayumi wasn't able to get back home to them. The question in the air of whether she was dead or not was torture for everyone. He smiled softly at Mayu, nodding as his hand moved to pat her on the head lightly before returning to his side. He had a feeling that was the extent of the conversation that was going to happen. Would things ever work their way back to normalcy again?

Yoshiki kept quiet through it all, hardly even listening. Most voices came into his ears as just muffled background noise, his mind having a difficult time tuning in to anything. Though, as his eyes listlessly glazed over the room, they caught another set, staring straight back at him. Both dull gray eyes met, and as soon as that connection was made, a sickening chill went down his spine. His eyes went from slightly widened to narrowed, something off about the guy's looks... He was a senior here, wasn't he?... He broke eye contact finally, his head back down towards his food. There was something about that... It was such a menacing look, an expression that was seared into his mind. His suspicions, though unfounded, began with that look of hidden malice.


	5. Chapter 5

Ayumi's stomach hurt a lot. It turned out days and days of not eating could wear a person out. She always thought she knew what hunger was when she didn't eat anything between breakfast and dinner. Damn, she was so wrong. Her limbs felt weak. The only energy in her was from the water, which was empty of everything but the actual hydration factor. Also, as pathetic as it was, she had already begun to lose count of the days. No way it had been more than a week, right? She was so worn out... next time he presented food to her... ugh, she may just have to accept. Her dulled blue eyes traveled to the new form beside her. How often was this going to happen? That some new, scared, innocent person would be dragged in here to suffer? Could she even begin to explain to them what may happen to them? Or was it kinder to leave them ignorant? Maybe she should just play dead.

**"W-why am I h-here?"** the girl cried. Ayumi couldn't specifically guess her age. She looked older than her, but most people did. Maybe she was a senior too? Although, it had to be for a different high school.

Ayumi bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes shifting towards the floor. The crimson stains have faded but were still visible. The girl stared at Ayumi, following the gaze to the red floor. This caused the girl to let out an awful, gut-wrenching wail as she buried her face against her hand. Ayumi watched the girl sadly, thinking to herself: _'You're here to die.'_

* * *

The next day was a weekend, so Yuuya came in much earlier. Today, he'd get to have even more fun... He walked in with a bundle of wood he had collected from outside, along with some flammable liquid. **"Good morning ladies... How are you doing?"** he asked casually, his natural curled smile on his face. He approached them and took the girl from her place next to Ayumi. He wasn't sure which he liked best... A girl's scream or guy's... He guessed it would have to be a tie! After all, everyone's guttural screams were so pleasurable to him, he simple couldn't pick a favorite. **"Today will be quite fun,"** he mentioned to the two, humming with a care free tone.

Ayumi stared at as he came in, confused initially. Then she remembered weekends and mentally cursed. How long with this go on for? Asuka's had taken forever, but he had said he had to cut it short. Would this be an all-day thing? Ayumi didn't think she could handle it. Especially since this girl had talked so much. She was a senior at Seisei Academy, her name is Kaidou Nori the oldest sibling of three, had just started going steady with this boy she met at a concert, and her parents were divorced. The information was unwanted, but the girl had been rambling. The intense dread in Ayumi's stomach made her feel like she was choking. She wanted to go home so badly.

**"Please, my parents have money! They'll pay you whatever you want!"** Nori began to beg as he moved her. Pride wasn't something most indulged in when their existence was hanging over their head.

Yuuya just smiled down at the girl, chuckling darkly as she began to talk about money. **"If I wanted money, don't you think I would've already requested it?"** he asked her with a cruel smile, pushing the girl onto her stomach and pinning her down at her back, **"No... what I want is something far better."** Today, he was only using one method, but it'd still take a lot of the day, and probably be even slower and more painful than his last project. He grabbed a rope he had placed to the side the prior night, tying her hands together behind her back. Even with that down, though, he still had his knee on her, to assure she didn't try to get away in any form. He grabbed her leg and removed any clothing from it, so the skin was bare, then repeated the process with her other leg. He grabbed the jug of flammable fluid, first pouring a little on the wood, and then a small bit on her feet, ankles, and a little ways up, but not to her knees. **"I want your screams."**

Ayumi watched with a pale face as he began his torture. Nori was squirming and flailing whatever body parts she could in a small attempt to fight against what was about to happen. She watched voicelessly as he stripped her of any clothes on her legs. Ayumi's heart began to pound so loudly in her ears, she couldn't hear anything. She just watched in absolute horror as the what she assumed was gasoline was poured onto her. But, only a small part of her body. Ayumi was pretty sure she knew what was going to happen, and Nori's screams and hysteric cries told her that the other girl probably knew as well.

**"Please! Don't! I don't deserve this! I'm a good person!"** Nori choked out between sobs. Ayumi tensed, eyes looking down at the ground in front of her. There was no way to talk yourself out of this. The killer was in it for the killing, nothing else. He wouldn't care about morals and all he aimed to gain was the satisfaction of his cruel acts.

Yuuya pulled out a lighter from his school bag, eyes gazing at the metal with an excited spark. **"That's good to know... The nice ones usually have better screams,"** he mentioned, lighting the fire on the wood. He lifted his knee for a short moment to slide Nori across the floor, then placed it back onto her. His hand held her legs just out of reach of the licking flames, just taking in the pleasure of her cries and begs for a moment longer. He gave a small laugh, eyes drawn to the orange flames as he let her legs drop across the flame, the fire grabbing at her skin quickly with the small amount of gas that her skin had latched onto.

Ayumi typically loved fire. Only, in very small quantities and in a controlled environment. It was something she associated with horror, of course, because her scary story times were always illuminated by the candle's dim light. This fire was something completely different, a raging beast feeding on the girl's flesh. Nori's screams increased, her begs becoming inaudible as the pain wiped away her ability to form words. Ayumi looked away once again. It seemed sick to watch, and she didn't want to see the charred flesh or exposed bone. Although, as it was last time, it was impossible to ignore a person's most pained cries. The smell of burning flesh hit her hard as well, turning her stomach inside out. Her hand clutched her mouth as the smell quickly made the room smell toxic.

Yuuya laughs increased as Nori's screams grew, and her speech just becoming a jumble of sounds. This continued until her legs were completely charred. He took his knee from her again, untying her hands only to position them again in front of her. He took out a pocket knife, slicing off the long sleeves of her uniform, not really taking care to not cut into her flesh a couple of times. He tore the sleeves from her arms, and poured the gas on them up to about halfway along her forearm. He forced them into the fire, but didn't hold them there like he had her legs. Once they caught fire, and were adequately blazing, he stepped back to watch the show. Where the fire caught next depended on where Nori would flail. He loved using human instincts against them... If he had to bet, he'd guess her torso would catch fire first, and then spread on her clothes after that... Basically, if she moved to catch her clothes ablaze at all, she was dead. That didn't mean it'd come swiftly, though, of course.

It was one thing to kill someone, it was another to do it slowly and tortuously. Ayumi bit her cheek hard, letting herself concentrate on that pain instead of the disgusting smell in the air. She kept believing Nori's screams would have reach the peak of their loudness, but as the girl's arms were drenched in flames, the volume only increased. The worse was the pain and terror behind the ear-piercing noise. Nori was absolutely terrified and in an incredible amount of pain. Ayumi could only sit trembling, eyes glued on the floor. Absolutely useless.

Nori's instinct was to flail, to try the stop, drop, and roll that was so diligently taught in younger years. Not that she had much room to do anything with her movements, but what she could do, she tried. It didn't entered her terrified mind that she was furthering her own demise. She moved, trying to wave the fire off of her arms. The embers licked her hair and top of her uniform. It didn't take long for the flames to eat away at the flammable parts of her to reach the skin.

Yuuya watched in utter delight as her body slowly became engulfed in flames. Her hair, scalp, clothes, torso... It was all under the gorgeous orange-red flames. His eyes lit up with joy at Nori's pain, and occasionally flicked over to Ayumi to revel in the emotional torture at the same time. Having an audience was so much better than just hearing a person's scream by oneself... He found that he equally enjoyed damaging Ayumi's mind as much as he enjoyed damaging others' bodies.

Ayumi wasn't sure how long the burning took. She could feel the smell of burning flesh cling to her as Nori's body was eaten away at. The screams eventually died away, but that wasn't because the girl was dead. Even as the flames flickered away, her charred body was desperately trying to take in breaths. Ayumi's eyes move up for a split second but shot back down to the ground just as quickly. Her body was unrecognizable. The barest form a human, almost. Was she dead yet? Ayumi wasn't sure. The fire had to have damaged everything in her, but she was just withering away slowly. Ayumi pressed her hand against her mouth as a stray sob escaped her. This was disgusting and cruel. No one should be put through these types of atrocities.

Yuuya was satisfied after her screams died out. That was quite the show! Now... what would he do for the next victim? He used his foot to turn her body onto her back, examining her closely. She seemed to still be trying to breath... He guessed he could leave the body here until tomorrow. This time, there was no blood, so it would be an easier mess to clean, no matter how long he waited. He stepped away from her body, kicking out the flames on the wood. **"That was much more fun... I hope it only gets better,"** he chimed, more talking to himself than Ayumi. He glanced to Ayumi at her sob, his smile ever growing. **"See you tomorrow, little sister..,"** he told her with a sly grin, turning to leave the building, exiting the door with a loud clank.

Ayumi looked at him with frantic eyes as he stepped over the body, bidding her farewell and leaving. Her voice had caught, the plea for him to take her life lost. Ayumi blinked quickly as she tried to fight back tears, but she couldn't stop them from slipping out. She wiped the tears as they fell onto her sleeve, her breath becoming ragged. **"No, no, no,"** Ayumi began to whimper as she looked at the burnt body. He was leaving her here with Nori like this? Her hand clenched into the fist, punching the ground as she tried to relieve the boiling frustration. She shifted, trying to move as far from the body as possible. It smelled awful and it would only be a matter of time before the flies got to it. She buried her head between her knees and chest, curling up as she sobbed. She hated this! But more so, she hated him. She had never wished so much ill will on a person before. She had never wished death on someone before... but for him, she had no kind thoughts.

* * *

Yoshiki only felt like he was dragged further into the pit of depression each day Ayumi was missing. Her body still hadn't been found, though that made him feel no better. It may even be worse than death... Every time he had thoughts like that, his stomach turned horribly, to the point he felt like he'd have to excuse himself to throw up. He was closing himself off to everything in reality. He came to school, but didn't study, didn't listen, or do homework. He didn't talk to his friends, or hardly anyone for that matter. During lunch, instead of joining in to bring up their spirits with false hope, his eyes were focused on that third year. He stared at him ever since he had made eye contact, his face expressionless, but his insides were burning with some unidentifiable emotion.

After school, today in particular, Yoshiki paused on the desolate road that led from the school to the train station. This had to have been where Ayumi had last been... This was the only place he felt closest to her... Well, he didn't really go on such a superstitious feeling, but rather used logic as well. Ayumi may have left school later, but the student council never stayed after dark... It would've had to been daylight, and this was the only place she could have been taken without anyone else noticing. Then, where had the killer taken her after?... He struggled to figure this out every time he walked out here to and from school, his chest tightening painfully. He wanted to save her... and if he couldn't, he at least wanted to see her again... alive. He needed to...

Yoshiki turned his head at the sound of several footsteps behind him. It was that senior... He was among other friends, but the two actually exchanged looks. Yoshiki held a suspicious glare at the man, though the third year's face remained stiff and cool. After that small exchange, the senior turned his head to continue talking to his friend. Yoshiki didn't stop glaring though, frozen in place with a fire in the pit of his stomach. His eyes followed him as the man passed, but then something unexpected. The man turned his head over so slightly, and though his eye was covered by his hair, Yoshiki could tell the look was meant for him. That smirk. He was _smirking_ at him...

Yuuya had come later that day, cleaning up what mess was left after he had taken away Nori's body. He glanced to Ayumi, a larger than normal grin on his face, if that was possible. He stood, satisfied with his job, then kept his eyes on his 'little sister'. He left some more food for her, but if she didn't start eating, he'd have to start forcing it down her throat. **"You must be **_**quite**_** the great friend and classmate. Everyone from 2-9 has been quite out of sorts, lately,"** he mentioned casually, aiming to lead up to something that he had noted just that day. It would be fun to see how she'd take it...

Ayumi stared at the food, her stomach burning with conflict. She was so hungry, but her appetite was nonexistent. She wasn't exactly eager to extend her life any longer than it had to be, as well. The night with the dead body had been awful. The flesh that remained on the girl had been swarmed by bugs and the smell had only grown worse. She was ready to die... She couldn't handle any more of this. She looked up at him as he mentioned her friends, a mix of absolute horror and hatred hitting her. **"You're awful," **she said between gritted teeth. Her friends... she only wanted the best for them. They'd move on, eventually... but it wasn't something that could be easy. She hated herself for leaving such a burden on all their shoulders, especially Mayu's. **"Disgusting, wretched, loathsome, repulsive, abominable, revolting... absolutely abhorrent,"** she muttered in a low voice. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to take a knife and drive it through his chest.

Yuuya just smiled at her, untouched by her many insults. He didn't care what she called him. In fact, her anger just told him he was doing quite a good job at torturing her mind. He turned, his coat tossed over his shoulders as he walked forward, but wasn't ready yet to leave. **"They really are great friends... It's a shame one of them doesn't like me,"** he said with a fake tone of hurt, his head turning to looking at Ayumi, excitement in his eyes. **"Such sharp gray eyes... If he continues to snoop around, I'll be forced to do away with him. I'm having too much fun to be stopped so abruptly,"** he told her, as if he was being forced to kill someone, also mentioning his most defining feature, since he didn't know his name personally. But in fact, killing a friend in front of her was making him absolutely giddy. The detour in his plans couldn't be more enjoyable. He watched her face closely, wondering how she would take his threat.

Sharp gray eyes... that had to be... Yoshiki? Ayumi felt something tug inside of her worse than the mention of stranger's demise. She couldn't let one of her closest friends end up here, but there wasn't anything she could do! To watch a friend die... someone she had talked to regularly and knew so much about... Her heart just ached in fear. She wanted to protect them, but she was so powerless here. **"Don't! Please, he won't find out! Just... leave him out of this..."** Ayumi begged. She realized this could backfire, that her desperate behavior could just push him to hurt Yoshiki or any of her friends. He loved a reaction... but, she wasn't able to think so clearly, her emotions and fears were too in control of what she said.

Yuuya watched as Ayumi seemed desperate to keep her friend out of this. Really, it wasn't just because he wanted to tear her mind apart piece by piece. He actually hadn't wanted to kill another person from this school so soon, but that boy kept hanging around in places that were too close for comfort. He didn't think himself invincible, but the police hadn't caught up with him, and he wouldn't let a second year ruin everything before it was his time to lose. He shook his head with a small sigh, turning he head back in the direction the door. **"He's **_**very**_** set on finding you... If he gets a step closer, he'll have to be our next guest,"** he told her, then walked calmly out of the building, leaving Ayumi with such an event to ponder about.

Ayumi froze at the information, the digestion of what he stated as fact made her sick. **"Kishinuma, you idiot... just stop whatever you're doing,"** she said to the empty room. She wished her voice could somehow reach him, but it would honestly come down to Yoshiki's own actions. But... goddammit, he wouldn't be this close to being killed if she hadn't disappeared. More tears began to spill as her emotions swallowed her whole. It was cruel, but she'd rather have strangers coming in and being killed. It was all still difficult, but for a friend to go through all this torture... her mind would snap. To hear the screams of those she had laughed with... how could anyone survive that? **"Please... all of you... stay safe."**


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next two days, Yuuya had killed his fifth victim, or third with an audience. It was another week day so he didn't have as much time as he would have liked, but it was still satisfying to him. He was also keeping a close watch on that second year friend of Ayumi's. He still seemed like he was snooping, but he had gotten no closer, so he stayed back for now. He'd like to hold off as much as he could, because multiple students from Kisaragi disappearing may give the police a better idea of his whereabouts. He wanted to space the times out as much as possible, but that was a bit difficult. After all, the idea of slaughtering one of her friends was horribly exciting. He'd probably drag it out a couple days... He had to milk it as much as he could, because he had a faint idea that afterword, Ayumi's mind would be permanently out of commission. That meant whenever it was that boy's turn, it'd be Ayumi's as well. It had been fun while it had lasted, but something could only take so much before it broke, and a broken toy was no fun.

It was Friday... A little over a week had passed since Ayumi had disappeared. Sometimes, Yoshiki just wanted to quit, and spend all day lying in his bed. It's all he had energy for anymore... His grades were starting to drop with his inactivity, but he hadn't started to revert, his friends could tell that. He didn't fight. He didn't smoke. Quite frankly, he didn't do _anything _but what was necessary to live. Though he didn't even want to do those things anymore... Sometimes, when he was at the very bottom of the abyss inside him, he didn't want his life anymore, but he knew too well that wherever Ayumi was, she wouldn't be happy with him. That, and... it wouldn't be fair to the group of friends, who were already trying to cope with Ayumi being gone. He wasn't really a big part of the group, he was no glue that held them together like Ayumi had been, but that didn't mean he could go writing himself off thinking it wouldn't affect them.

Although... that didn't stop him from delving in things that some may consider to be dangerous. Police often advised citizens to never hunt for killers themselves, but Yoshiki wasn't very good at sitting idly by, especially when Ayumi's safety was in question. Like every day since he figured out the possible location of where Ayumi had last been, he stopped on that road, looking pensively at his surroundings. A place the killer would take her... There was still the issue of it being daylight when she was last seen, so he couldn't have gone to the train station or anywhere near the general population of this area. Somewhere as desolate as this road had been... Somewhere no one could just stumble upon. His eyes slowly trailed to the tree line that was a little ways away from the road. He stared, feeling something strong in his stomach. His eyes narrowed, his legs hesitating only a moment before stepping off the paved road into the grass by the side. He stopped where the trees started, placing a hand on one of the trees as he leaned forward slightly. His eyes stared into the forest as deep as he could see, his foot slowly taking a step into the dry, dead leaves of Fall. His limbs tingled with nervousness, as he was admittedly fearful of whatever could be lurking, but his desire to find Ayumi won out.

Yoshiki took one more step into the unfamiliar territory before he heard steps behind him. His heart beat painfully in his chest as he turned, facing what he had expected to all this time. He stumbled backwards, his voice taken from him as his body was stunned with fear at the senior that had been directly behind him. His smirk today wasn't normal... It was twisted, and it sent his stomach into a nauseous state.

**"Strike,"** he said with a dark tone, bringing down some sort of tool against Yoshiki's head. He hadn't been quick enough to tell what he had been hit with, everything going dark almost immediately after the mind-shattering pain. His body went limp, falling to the forest floor.

Yuuya looked at Yoshiki's stationary body, also feeling a tingling in his limbs, but it was much different. He wasn't scared, he was _excited_. He bent down and picked Yoshiki up by his jacket collar, dragging him deeper into the forest. **"If you want to see her so badly... I'll grant your wish,"** he said with a dark tone, his smile practically spread from ear to ear.

Yuuya made a grand entrance to the building as he kicked open the door, yelling out, **"I'm back! And I've brought you a present!"** He slung Yoshiki's body into the room, the impact making a small thud. His head was bleeding a bit, but he was breathing and still alive. Not that that was a particularly good thing in Yuuya's house of horrors. **"He's quite the nosy kid... You should have taught him better, as his class rep,"** he taunted, a sneer on his face.

Ayumi jerked to dazed awareness as the doors were kicked open. The grand entrance was odd. He liked making himself known, but he sounded like an excited child who had a toy to show her. Although, the moment she made that correlation, she felt her mind go blank as she stared. Her eyes glued onto Yoshiki's unconscious body. She had been sure that she would never see any of her friends again, yet here was one right in front of her. It brought her absolutely no happiness. She was stunned, her brain seemingly blocking off her ability to feel at first. The emotions began to leak through the barrier her mind had tried to set up. She felt her eyes heat up, and her hands clenched into fists. Even if Yoshiki's chest was still rising and falling, indicating his breathing state, Ayumi had seen enough that she knew what was going to come. **"You bastard!"** Ayumi snarled, eyes sharp with rage. She wanted to bark commands at him to not touch Yoshiki... that she was going to kill him... but they were empty threats. **"Do you really think you'll get away with all of this!? You're going to be caught! And I hope they fucking hang you, you pathetic excuse for a human!"** she snarled, since it was the only thing she could say with a semblance of truth. He'd be caught. He'd pay for his crimes. It was just a matter of when it would happen.

Yuuya just watched her scream, somewhat in a state of bliss. He couldn't wait to torture this one... He seemed the tenacious and spiteful type, which meant he'd probably last as long as Yuuya wanted this to stretch out. His mind turned its attention to Ayumi, his expression unchanging. **"Hah, no... I'm just merely postponing the inevitable, so I can have as much fun as I can,"** he answered honestly, glancing down at Yoshiki. Too bad he was unconscious... The actual playtime would have to wait until tomorrow. He stepped forward, grabbing the back of Yoshiki's jacket to pull him up and forward. He chained him beside Ayumi, just like all the other victims, purposefully slumping him against Ayumi. If he had any luck, their impending death, friendship status, and closeness may turn into something more than friendship. Meaning it'd be just that much more fun for him as he tore them apart in the most definite way possible. **"Tomorrow starts the beginning of the end for both of you. I hope you look forward to it,**" he told Ayumi with a lopsided grin, turning and leaving out the door.

Ayumi let out a frustrated yell as he left. His pleasure and satisfaction about tearing their lives apart made such an anger course through her that it felt like her heart would explode. Ayumi's chest heaved as she tried to breath herself back to a level of rationality. With the anger passing, the inevitability of everything came back. She slumped back, staring at Yoshiki's unconscious body... Yoshiki was going to die. The boy that she had bugged and pushed to make his life better was going to die, because he had gone looking for her. Although, she wouldn't yell at him or give him any grief for that... After all, she had been stupid enough to think herself invincible on her walk home. She glanced through the broken window, the light still shining in. She wasn't sure how long Yoshiki would stay passed out... she also didn't know how long she wanted him to be out. This wouldn't be easy either way, but would less time together before the bloodbath be better? It wasn't something that could be measured out... She let out a shaky sigh, staring blindly ahead of her. She had no control over anything, either way. All she could do was wait and watch.

* * *

Yoshiki's eyes opened slowly, but he couldn't really work on taking in his surroundings just yet. He was horribly disoriented, and his head still ached with an awful pain. He moved to sit more up right, his hand coming to his head to assess what was ailing him. He felt something wet, something he quickly assumed to be blood. What had-? Ah... wait... it was after school, that road, then... He had been hit. He had been knocked out by that senior! The information came like a jolt of lightning, and he quickly became more aware of everything around him. It was dark, so he assumed it to be night, but that didn't really matter when the sky started to get dark around 6. He had no inkling of what time it could be, but that wasn't the biggest thing on his mind. **"Shinozaki?"** he called with concern, his eyes searching for even the faintest outline of another person. His hand went back, brushing against some sort of fabric. He groped around to find the source, clutching onto what he believed to be a sleeve. Could it be...?**"Shino... zaki?"** he asked in a smaller voice, his hand's grip tightening as his hopes shot up.

Ayumi had waited for Yoshiki to wake up, but the darkness brought overwhelming drowsiness. She shut her eyes, figuring she should try to get a little sleep. It was difficult when she feared tomorrow so much, though. She couldn't have passed out for long when she heard a familiar voice. She blinked tiredly, coming out of her nap with uncertainty. Was that actually him or was she imagining things? She jumped slightly as she felt him grab onto her sleeve. **"Kishinuma..."** she mumbled quietly, almost as a greeting but more of a sad confirmation it was her. How did this all happen? They were in school normally together no more than a couple weeks ago. But at this point, it felt like years since she had led a normal life.

Yoshiki waited for an answer, his spirit balancing on just what sort of answer it was. When he heard her voice, that he hadn't in such a long time... He couldn't help but become overwhelmed with an array of feelings. He let go of her sleeve, responding to his name with a shaky sigh. Their situation wasn't good...He assumed this was where the killer hid out, and had killed others... He was probably next in fact, and the finding that she was here wasn't a good thing in of itself, but he couldn't help but be swallowed by happiness. That he did, indeed, get to see her again, and talk to her, and touch her... His heart swelled and he went silent, trying to hold back the intense feelings. He wasn't sure how to express his joy... He was certain she was the opposite of him, so he doubted mentioning his happiness in finding her would be a good thing to do. His limbs shook as he tried to hold back the tears that had been held in for much too long, a hectic mixture of despair, hopelessness, and relief stormed inside of him. He probably couldn't save her... and had doomed himself with her, but he... couldn't have lived if the next time he had been able to see her was in a news report of another body found. Not that he'd tell her, but... he'd rather die by her side than be without it forever. He choked down a sob, trying to remain strong as to not let them both become unraveled, but it was difficult to keep control.

Ayumi froze as his hand released her sleeve. She could hear him stifling a sob, which just broke something inside of her. She had only seen Yoshiki display a handful of emotions varying from anger to relaxed to humorous. She had never once seen him close to tears or sobs... the normally composed Yoshiki was breaking down next to her. It quickly brought fresh tears to her eyes as her breathing became a muddle mess of trying to stop herself from crying. She wanted to tell him it would be fine, but she knew it wouldn't be. Yoshiki could be crushed, burned, mutilated..., and she'd just have to watch as he was put through the torture. She couldn't say anything to raise his spirits, because she didn't want to inject false hope. Plus, she doubted Yoshiki would believe any lies she spewed forward in order to try and comfort him. They were stuck in the reality of what was going to happen, so what could she possibly say?

Yoshiki tried to compose himself, but he kept dropping further out of control. It was confusing... he didn't know which he felt more... But the relief was there, and so was the joy... So he'd guess, despite everything in their current situation, he was happy to see her again. He let loose another sob, his control completely gone as his free hand went to grab Ayumi's shoulder. He pulled her closer into a hug, burying his head against her shoulder as he broke down completely. **"I... missed you... I thought I wouldn't see you again,"** he finally spoke in a shaky voice, his grip on the back of her school uniform tightening.

Ayumi hadn't expected him to pull her into an embrace, but she found herself melting into the contact. The days in this awful place were so lonely and awful, and the company she kept never lifted any burdened feelings off her shoulder. As he broke down, she felt herself lose herself as well. She was so sick of crying, but it was a release of the overwhelming feelings consuming her. Her free arm wrapped around him, though her grip was weak as a result of her general atrophy in this place. **"It would be better if you hadn't..."** Ayumi responded with a grimace. He would have been better off staying away from all this. Now... he was going to die. The thought sent her into trembles as the dread bit away at her sanity.

Yoshiki shook his head at her own comment, greatly rejecting her point of view. **"No... No, I was losing my damn mind! If I hadn't gotten the chance to see you again before... before **_**they**_** found you, I...,"** his voice trailed off as his hand trembled at the intense emotions he was letting loose after this long, seemingly endless week. By they, he meant the police, which was a substitute because he didn't want to say 'before you were killed'. He wasn't saying this because he thought they could actually get out. If there was any way they could escape, prior victims would have already exploited it. He knew his doom... but he was still happier here than in a classroom without Ayumi.

Ayumi's eyes narrowed in confusion as he continued to speak. She pulled back from the hug, so she could meet his eyes. **"Do you realize where you are?"** she asked sharply. It seemed like he was more focused on her than the fact he had just walked into his own demise. It didn't make sense for him to ignore the fact he was never going to leave this place. **"Do you have any idea what is going to happen!?"** she asked, voice increasing in volume. He had to know his fate. He wasn't that clueless. **"You would have moved on Kishinuma! Now- now..."** she felt her voice falter in strength and died away. It would have been better for him to discover through the news. He wouldn't have to die horribly, and she wouldn't have to watch.


	7. Chapter 7

Yoshiki felt emptier as she pulled away, but was quick to jump on a hole in her words. **"How do you know what I would've done?"** he asked sharply, his wet eyes narrowed at hers. Her eyes were practically all he could see from the dark, the light of the moon just barely illuminating them. **"Like hell I'd move on..,"** he muttered, adverting his gaze a short moment, only to return them. He didn't expect her to understand, since he really didn't himself. That, and... it smelled foul in here, yet Ayumi was still alive. He could only imagine that the bodies that have been so far... died here, in front of her. His heart ached when he imagined how damaged her psyche must be, but it also gave him insight to her dismay. He definitely wouldn't be happy if one of his friends had ended up here after him... But it wasn't like he had control over what he felt. He loved her, and she was his strongest support. **"The day you disappeared... I didn't even say bye to you... Every time I thought about that being my last day with you, it... it hurt a lot,"** he tried to explain, so maybe she could at least see why he was feeling the male storm he was feeling.

**"You're being short-sighted..."** Ayumi responded, shaking her head at him. She couldn't even begin to grasp the idea that Yoshiki was thankful to see her, while death hovered over his head so closely because of that. She realized she was one of few friends he had, but he shouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't have just continued to live. Of course he couldn't imagine moving on at that point, but give it some months... some years... she'd become a memory in the back of his mind. **"Having the chance to say goodbye doesn't change anything,"** she said shakily, bringing her sleeve up to her eyes to catch some tears. He was being so foolish... so myopic. But, why? She never could understand him very well... He was too hard to read, and it frustrated her.

Yoshiki's shoulders slumped slightly, and the hand that held onto her arm slid off into the floor. He shifted slightly to lean against the pole they were both attached to, eyes now really taking in their surroundings. **"I guess... I can't make you understand,"** he said with a sigh, dropping the subject now that his emotions were calmed down, at least a little. He moved his sleeve to wipe his eyes, feeling the embarrassment of crying in front of Ayumi, even though he could honestly say that such a feeling was given no special attention, like it would in any other situation.

Ayumi blinked slowly as Yoshiki moved back against the pole. She felt herself agree that they wouldn't be able to see eye-to-eye on this. She settled her hand back into her lap, frowning as she found her mind keep drifting to tomorrow. Yoshiki would be dead by tomorrow night. One of her best friends would be dead. It struck harder than any stranger's death could hit her. Sure, Nori had told Ayumi a lot about herself, but a rambling flood of information doesn't equate to actually knowing someone. **"H...how are the others doing?"** she asked after a stretch of silence. Her heart wrenched every time she thought of them trying to go on with their lives. Normalcy would eventually settle, but it wasn't something that could be forgotten about.

Yoshiki sat as silence engulfed, eyes stuck on the faded blood stains on the floor. All the people he heard about on the news... They were probably killed here. Of course he was scared... Judging by the others, his death would be no quicker than theirs, if not slower because of Ayumi. He didn't want to die, or go through so much pain, but... It was difficult to describe. The pain of losing Ayumi, he felt, was greater than anything that murderer could put him through. He didn't voice this, obviously, as it was another thing Ayumi wouldn't understand. Plus, what she was going through... and had to go through, whenever that guy decided to come back and kill him, would be worse than anything he could imagine going through. His head turned slightly at Ayumi's voice, deciding to tell the truth. **"They're... trying,"** he voiced, which was better than anything he had been doing lately. **"It's still rough... Especially Suzumoto. They're all giving her false hope so she can maybe manage it better, but I feel... like that will back fire. She randomly loses it and cries... and despite what Morishige tried to tell her, I think she blames herself for you ending up here,"** he explained, feeling she needed to know exactly how their friends at school were dealing with this. And now that he was lined up in the same fate... What would happen to them? He didn't think himself too important, but it was a little naive to think it wouldn't have any effect on them. And it would only be magnified, since his and Ayumi's disappearances happened so closely together. They hadn't had even remotely enough time to move on from Ayumi... He wanted to apologize, but at the same time, if he could go back, he wouldn't change anything. He had to see Ayumi for a last time. It was so selfish... To Ayumi too...

Ayumi knew they couldn't have been doing well. Her eyes narrowed at the ground as mention of Mayu, feeling everything inside of her twist in guilt. If she just didn't mention the killer at lunch, Mayu wouldn't have to feel responsible. Although, she wasn't sure if she had been targeted or just picked off the road randomly by the killer. This could have been inevitable or it could be Ayumi's fault... although... He had said... he watched her and Mayu at lunch. That meant she had been targeted? A chill ran down her back at the realization that seemed a long time coming. **"I wish... I could just tell Mayu it wasn't her fault. She had no role in any of this,"** Ayumi mumbled quietly. **"Now this is going to hang over her head..."** she whimpered quietly. She wished she could just leave everyone with a sense of peace... but that wouldn't come. There was no way. Maybe the chance to say goodbye would have been a lot more important than she had given credit for a few minutes ago.

Yoshiki nodded silently, laying his arm across his lap. The chance to say something to someone when you didn't otherwise have another was more valuable than anyone could understand until they were placed in the situation. He was the same way... He had wanted to, if he ever got to see her alive again, tell her of his hidden feelings... But, that was before he had an idea of what kind of situation Ayumi was in. She had watched all those people be killed... The same would probably happen with him... He was already a friend, which was so much worse than a stranger, he didn't want to make it worse on her... Not that he thought their relationship would grow per say, but it still wasn't something that was appropriate to say when she had to deal with his death. He took a deep breath, letting it out in a quiet sigh. He... He would think on it.

Ayumi looked out to the broken window, the moon somewhat visible in the frame. She felt like they should be saying more, but she just had to ask herself: what was the point? He was going to die, and she would eventually die as well. The killer would get bored of her at some point. He may call her "little sister" and pretend to have some sort of affection towards her, but it really just came down to that it was another facet of his cruel game he could expand on. Eventually her mind would completely break, and he would grow bored of her. She wondered if that would happen tomorrow. Having to watch Yoshiki go through this was going to hurt more than anything has in her life. She already felt on the brink of complete psychological destruction. She blinked away the tears that threatened to slip out. She couldn't keep crying... It didn't help with anything. She just... she wanted so desperately for this to end. Her eyes surveyed the dark room, desperate for some sort of sharp object. Of course the killer wouldn't have been careless enough to leave them with anything that could be used for suicide.

Yoshiki didn't know how long it had been since they last talked... At least a few hours, or so it felt like. It was still dark... That guy could come back at any time after the sun raised, since today, or tomorrow, was Saturday. He had time to think about what he wanted to do with his secret. Tell her, and make it worse, or... take it to his grave. Both decisions hurt... He wanted to be selfish, but across the hours, he had begun to think... Was that really his call? It was her situation that would change... Wouldn't it be right to at least give her a say in how tomorrow would go? **"Shinozaki... I... want to say something,"** he started, breaking the silence after so long sitting in it, **"But... I understand what's going on here, so... I thought it was only fair if you get to say if you want to hear it or not."** It may be cowardly, shoving the decision onto her... but it wouldn't be fair if he just decided to tell her. It would make her situation worse, when she didn't have a say in the matter... He felt this was the right thing to do.

Ayumi's legs were tucked up against her chest as her head laid on her knees. It would get chilly at night, and her exposed legs were always covered in goosebumps. She looked over at Yoshiki as he began to speak, her brow furrowing in confusion. It took a moment to process that he was waiting for her to either allow him the chance to say whatever he was thinking, or shut it down if she didn't want to hear it. She shifted a little, her heart pounding in her chest in anxiety. She... sort of had a small idea of what it _might_ be. Was it presumptuous to assume it was that, though? It would certainly explain his desire to see her before her death. Also, she couldn't imagine something else he would tell her that couldn't just be said in that moment. To say that he... well... held strong feelings for her wouldn't help as she watched him get torn apart. Then again, she was in the last moments of her life, and she has never been loved in such a way. Would it be incredibly selfish to allow this small period of time to be used that way? Or would it selfless? Perhaps it really met in the middle. She cared deeply about Yoshiki... she didn't know if she loved him. Any emotions she felt at the moment were fueled by hell she has gone through. Anything she felt might not be genuine, just a result of a desperation to feel something besides dread and fear. Though, she was going to watch him _die._ She would be left unable to do anything just like the previous times. Even worse, instead of a friend, it would be the boy who loved her. It almost guaranteed her mind would shatter, but wouldn't that happen anyway? Should she just allow herself to indulge for a short time, knowing it could fuel the heartbreak later? Her hand gripped her hair tightly, finger pressing against her scalp as if the pressure could trigger an epiphany. Why couldn't he have just said it or kept his mouth shut? Why push this decision onto her? Was this really more fair, giving her the option? Then again, it was the first time since she was pulled into this situation that she had been given _control_. She stopped herself from telling him she just didn't know, realizing she had to make a choice. She could be wrong, this may have nothing to do with love. But, with the knowledge it may very well be, what did she want? Her mind was faltering. She could only last so much longer. This could be her last human experience that wasn't pain. She let out a shaky sigh after a long time in the silence, coming to her decision. Her hand moved over to his, taking a moment to find it in the darkness. She whispered, **"Tell me."**

Yoshiki waited quietly for an answer, his hand balled up in a fist as anxiety settled in his stomach. It felt right... to give her a decision, but he kept chastising himself over pushing it onto her. No matter what excuse he made, it still felt cowardly, but it had already been done. If she didn't answer, he wouldn't push it, but he'd be very grateful if she did, no matter what it entailed. It was about when his mind started to tune out and his eyelids felt heavy when he felt her warm, soft hand on his. The jolt it gave his heart was enough to make him aware for what she was saying, and enough to be able to respond. His eyes narrowed at her, feeling his affections warm his stomach. **"...Okay,"** he said, shifting his hand to hold onto hers. Normally, he would be too shy to say anything like this... But when losing her was imminent, it almost felt like there was no fear or nervousness behind the emotion anymore. It felt so easy to just open his mouth and say it... **"I love you."**

A sensation traveled up Ayumi's arm as Yoshiki's hand grasped hers. She couldn't breathe as she waited for him to say it. It hit her harder than she could have guessed. She had been right, and she wasn't sure if she regretted her choice or not. Either way, it was said and... it was admittedly nice to know. She will die with at least this little life experience crossed off her bucket list. Should she say it back? It would be a half-lie. She never once imagined growing old with Yoshiki or having his children, but she put him levels higher than other males she encountered. Satoshi had obviously topped her list, but that was an opportunity she would never have. She unwound herself from the ball she had been curled up in to move closer to Yoshiki. She nestled against the crook of his neck, his warmth soothing her fragile mind. At that moment... yes. She could say she loved him. When death would come tomorrow, she could give him her heart for that time. **"I love you too,"** she said quietly against him. She didn't know if this was a cruel act or a gracious gift... but she felt lighter being able to say it.

Yoshiki would've been just happy with being able to say it, and her hand in his... But it was such a nice, warm sensation when she leaned onto him. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against her as a soft smile grew onto his face. To hear those words back... even if they may be false, made his world so much brighter. His heart's pace picked up, and warmth spread throughout him. Even if tomorrow lead to his painful death... he was glad he could have these moments of bliss. **"Thank you...,"** he told her in a whisper, wholly content with her words, even if they were a lie. He knew she loved Satoshi... He wasn't that naive. But that didn't mean it didn't allow these last moments to be like he dreamed. He wanted her to know that what she was doing for him was something he was extremely grateful for...

Ayumi shut her eyes so she could concentrate on the feeling of just being close to another person like this. Something twisted inside of her at his thanks, a mix between happiness and dread. She let out a small hum of acknowledgement as she leaned even closer into him. The fact that she could give him this felt good, because she had felt so inactive and powerless lately. Having to watch person after person die without even being able to offer any sort of comfort... she was glad she could give him this. Yet she knew tomorrow was going to be something she could never recover from. The beginning of her end. It was better for her, though. The sooner her mind shattered, the sooner the inviting arms of death could welcome her into peace. So, ultimately, it served both of them to have chosen to go forward with this.


	8. Chapter 8

It was morning of Saturday, and Yuuya felt pretty good. Today was going to be a lot of fun... Tomorrow too, if everything went as planned. He had in hand his gas, and light in his pocket, with a sort of spring to his step. The gas was tucked in his bag, so he didn't attract any sort of special attention. He wasn't going to be dry and do the same method, of course! This was only to use, in combination of something he left around the building last time, to make sure the boy didn't bleed out. After all, he had to survive until tomorrow. Also tucked in his bag was a knife. Yeah, he chose to go old school. After all, how the blade cut through flesh... He always liked it best when he killed strays. He bet it would feel even better with a screaming victim. He opened the door quietly this time instead, noting the two were actually asleep against one another. Perfect... He loved it when plans were met. He got more wood and started the fire, placing a metal rod over it held up by a stand. It would probably be ready in time to seal up any wounds he inflicted on the second year. He backed up from the fire, turning towards the two and slinging his bag off his shoulders, purposefully making a loud, echoing thud to wake them up. **"Good morning you two... I hope you had a restful night,"** he said in greeting with feigned friendliness.

Ayumi jumped at the loud noise, confused and disoriented about everything. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep... it had probably been the deepest and longest amount of time she had managed to stay in slumber since she got here, but now she was faced with only being more awake and aware for Yoshiki's... She grimaced, feeling like she was already about to break down. She tried to glare at the killer, but her expression couldn't shift from despair. Her hand, still in Yoshiki's, tightened its grip. She wasn't ready for this. To see Yoshiki hurt and broken down... she wasn't ready for everything to end. But, she realized that begging and trying to reason with the killer didn't help. If anything, it would get him more excited for the torture. He couldn't be reasoned with because all he wanted was their pain. Her jaw clenched, stopping herself from trying to beg for Yoshiki's freedom.

Yuuya glanced to the two, Ayumi's despairing, and the other was holding his ground of a calm expression. Heh, that wouldn't last long. He approached the two, removing Yoshiki from his restraint. Of course, being tenacious, he attempted to fight back, but to no avail. Yuuya was older and stronger than him... But he wouldn't just lie down and take it. He never would. Not until all life left him. Yuuya took one of his hands from holding back Yoshiki's to remove his knife from his jacket pocket. It was rather large... A hunting knife, Yoshiki guessed. He placed the blade between his teeth so he could pull out some wire from his bag, using it to restrain Yoshiki's hand to behind his back. Once that was done, he was ready to start. He took the handle of the knife, gazing around with excitement in his eyes to choose where to start. His smile increased, his free hand reaching over to pull up Yoshiki's two shirts. He twirled around the knife in a better position, bringing it down to stab it into his far right side, so as to avoid vital organs. Yoshiki let out a choked back scream at the sharp pain, his body instinctively trying to retreat backwards, but he had nowhere to go. Yuuya chuckled, twisting the knife inside. Yes... The knife was still his absolute favorite.

Ayumi watched helplessly as Yoshiki was pulled away, the entire thing causing her entire mind to become jumbled. She felt like she had so much more to say to him, but nothing actually came to mind. She wasn't ready to lose a friend... someone who loved her. She also couldn't stand the fact that this disgusting excuse of a human was going to draw out his pain as much as possible. Ayumi flinched as she watched with wide, horrified eyes as the knife was plunged into him. Her own side felt twisted as he began to twist the knife. **"STOP IT!"** Ayumi screamed at him, unable to bury her voice as she had time and time again. She knew it wouldn't change anything, but the plea escaped her in the desperation to do something.

Yuuya watched with a large grin as the blood sprayed, his hand finally becoming bloodied. Through all of this... this was the first time his hands had been stained red, and he _loved_ it. It was driving him further into a hysteria, fueled by crimson. As Ayumi began to scream, he only felt like he was on a better high than before. Sure, seeing her face twist in disgust and fear was great, but hearing her scream out in distress... It was something else entirely. After the wound was sufficiently widened, he roughly pulled the blade out, earning a spike in Yoshiki's volume, that eventually dissolved into pained pants and slight body spasms. He gazed at the blood that almost covered the knife to its hilt, his chuckle growing into an insane laugh. Without warning, the blade came down with all his strength into Yoshiki's arm, barely giving him time to recover from the last stabbing.

Ayumi was disgusted by how much crazier he looked than normal. She had seen him crush and burn people, and while that had obviously given him enjoyment... the look in his eyes showed a completely new level. Yoshiki's blood seemed to be everywhere, the red sending her into distress. With the other victims, she had shut or eyes or looked away, trying to ignore their existence and pain. She just couldn't turn her eyes off of Yoshiki, though. It felt wrong to try and blur out his pain, but she felt static hurt her head as she stared at the knife being stabbed into his arm. She couldn't look away, but she couldn't stand to watch. She was crying, which she knew may be selfish of her. She wasn't the one being stabbed. She didn't have the right to cry, but it wasn't something she had control over. **"Nononononono,"** she muttered frantically under her breath. She wanted so desperately to take that knife from the killer and stab it into his neck. She wanted him to feel the pain he so loved to force others into.

Yuuya made several other stab wounds on Yoshiki's torso, and other non-vital areas. It was fun... So much fun, he almost lost track of time... As annoying as it was, Kurosaki had asked to hang out, and would never take no for an answer... He tugged out the knife from its last wound, letting go of Yoshiki to let him drop to the ground, tiredly panting. He went over to the fire, grabbing the thin metal pole from its stand by a rubber handle. He examined the bright red glow with a large smile, just admiring it for a short moment. **"Do you know how people sealed wounds in ancient times?"** he asked Ayumi curiously, turning and glancing down at Yoshiki.

Ayumi wasn't sure how much longer this would last, but she found herself wishing he would just finish it. It was awful to think, because she didn't want Yoshiki to die, but more so she didn't want him to suffer through the killer's twisted acts. Though... it stopped... Ayumi looked at the fire in confusion, not noticing it until this moment. She tensed as she stared at the red-hot metal, her stomach sinking. The question he asked her just made one rise in her head. Why would he bother closing Yoshiki's wounds? Just for the fun of pressing the hot metal against him like a farmer would cattle, or was this just the beginning? She glared at him, refusing to say anything. After all, the answer to his question was in hand.

Yuuya's mood wasn't trampled by Ayumi's lack of an answer. After all, she understood the meaning. Who wouldn't? He knelled down, turning Yoshiki onto his back, a large grin on his face. He positioned the hot metal, diving it into the first wound he had inflicted. He listened with glee at Yoshiki's loud shout of agony and the sizzling of the metal against skin, his other hand holding Yoshiki in place so his body didn't move in a way that would injure anything important. He pulled out the utensil, gazing down at the wound, making sure the method worked. Indeed, it was good enough to last him a couple more days. He repeated the process, taking such joy each time those combinations of screams and sizzling reached his ears. Eventually, Yoshiki was no longer bleeding and in danger of dying, but the boy was completely exhausted from the immense pain and shouting. Yuuya took out his knife, cutting apart the wire that held his hands back, though Yoshiki had no energy, physically nor mentally, to take advantage and fight back. He moved him back to his spot next to Ayumi, re-restraining him against the pole. His head drooped and chest heaved as he gasped for breaths, while Yuuya stepped back and cleaned up a little. He cleaned his hands, knife, and put out the fire with a few water bottles he had brought. Then he took off his blood-stained jacket, so he looked completely spotless. **"We'll play again in the morning... My annoying 'friend' wants to waste my time,"** he told the two with annoyance, though the only one who could really listen to him was probably Ayumi. **"Bye, until tomorrow,"** he said, moving out of the building.

Ayumi's jaw was clenched so hard that her head was beginning to pang in pain. The sick sound of the metal against Yoshiki's flesh was too much. He would be stuck writhing and wallowing in pain until tomorrow... or the next day... or whenever the killer was willing to let him die. This was the first time he extended it like this... She glared at him as he spoke of going to hang out with his friends. It was disgusting to think that no one around this bastard realized his true nature. Once alone again, Ayumi wasn't sure if she was grateful or not Yoshiki wasn't dead. The inevitable was just being pushed off, and he was in so much pain. **"Kishinuma..."** Ayumi choked weakly, unsure of what she could say. She wanted to comfort him somehow but what could she possible say to take away the stab and burn wounds? Her hand hesitantly moved, pressing against the side of his face. She was afraid to touch anywhere near he was damaged, nor did she have any reason to. She had nothing she could do to the wounds to help his agony. She would let him lay his head on her lap, since passing out may be the best thing for his pain, but she was honestly afraid of moving him at all.

Yoshiki was unsure of the time that actually passed... He just knew it felt like an eternity... He had never felt so much pain before... Both cold and red-hot steel had been plunged into him, and he honestly couldn't tell which caused him the most agony. His mind was still a muddled mess even after Yuuya left, and he was so exhausted, in every form of the word. He was almost disappointed that guy hadn't killed him yet... He was fuzzy on the details, about why he left or what would happen when he got back, he just knew that his ordeal would be stretched out for an indeterminate amount of time. He felt detached from his surroundings, from Ayumi, but that barrier came down at her hand against his face. Initially, he had flinched, his body suspecting any type of contact to be painful at this point. But after that, it became soothing. His own hand, though tired, shakily lifted to settle over hers, eventually grabbing it and lowering it to the floor. He leaned into her, resting on her shoulder and against her head. He was attempting to drown out the searing pain with the comfort of Ayumi's contact, and it worked enough for him to stay there. He wanted to say something... but he didn't have the energy for it, and couldn't think of anything to break the silence. His mind also felt heavy, but he was still breathing raggedly and couldn't really rest. His body was also plagued by small tremors, every fiber of his being still in a slight shock from the pain. Everything in him felt like it was all jumbled up... but at least he had Ayumi. He cuddled closer to her, and his shaky grip tightened ever so slightly, as if he was afraid she'd just suddenly disappear.

Ayumi felt a shaky surprise as he managed to lift his hand to rest on her's. She let him lead her hand to the floor, leaning into him a little as he settled against her. Her hand clutched his tightly, a reminder she was there and a way to let herself know that Yoshiki was still there as well. She didn't expect him to be able to speak after that, but she did feel like maybe she should say something. The only thing that came to mind was 'sorry', and she knew that may be selfish of her to say. She hated how powerless everything here left her... She wanted to save him, but there was no way. So, she would do the one thing she could... just be there for him. It was small, but it was something. She'd serve as his support as well as she could until the killer let him die. **"Kishinuma... is there anything... I can do for you?"** she asked him quietly. She knew he may not be able to respond for a long time, or maybe he won't be able to muster a response at all, but it was something she wanted to at least try. She didn't know what would help him most through all this... should she keep talking or remain silent? Would he like a story or some type of song? Could she help adjust him into a more comfortable position? She wanted to make this all as easy on him as it possibly could, but she was too afraid to try anything without confirmation that was what he wanted. She couldn't risk hurting him more.

Yoshiki heard her question, but could only pant for a few minutes. He wanted to answer though... He didn't want this silence... It only scared him that she was gone. He needed her presence... Without it, the pain would come creeping back. So, since there was a great desire inside him, he found the ability to talk, if only a few words. **"Mm... I... need t... hear y..,"** he managed to get out in a small voice, some words being lost in his voice. He didn't specify what he wanted to hear, because he didn't need anything specific. He just needed to know, without a shadow of a doubt to his panicked mind that she was still there. Even though he could feel her body, and warmth... the fear was still there, irrational, yet shockingly powerful.

Ayumi waited quietly for a response, doubting she was going to get one. She became alert as he began to speak, although it was difficult to understand him. She repeated what he mumbled in her head, making it out. He wanted her to keep talking then? He didn't have enough strength to specify, but she could guess it was more her voice than what she was saying. She shut her eyes, trying to mentally grab onto a story. Otherwise she would begin rambling and hell knows where that would go. She didn't want to tell him a scary story, or bring up anything negative. She pulled one of the fairy tales she knew from memory, because she knew it was pointless to sit and wonder which story she should pick. She randomly plucked the story, 'The Wild Swans,' from her memory and began to speak. **"In a faraway kingdom, there lives a widowed King with his twelve children: eleven princes and one princess. One day, he decides to remarry. He marries a wicked queen who was a witch. Out of spite, the queen turns her eleven stepsons into swans, who are allowed to become human by night, and forces them to fly away. The queen then tries to bewitch their 15-year old sister Elisa, but Elisa's goodness is too strong for this, so she has Elisa banished. The brothers carry Elisa to safety in a foreign land where she is out of harm's way of her stepmother,"** she began gently and quietly. If he wanted her to speak, she would find a way to keep doing that. Even if it meant telling him every fairy tale she knew.

Yoshiki listened to her voice, giving it as much attention as he possibly could. Somewhere throughout the story, his breathing had died down to rough, but quiet, breaths, and he overall felt soothed. Between her warmth and voice, two things he cherished, the pain was becoming nothing more than a nagging, dull soreness through his body. After a while, though he didn't know how long, her voice was all he heard. Not even the actual words reached him, but that wasn't the important part anyways. As the room grew dark by nightfall, almost completely black from the moon's absence, either hidden by clouds or it was a new moon, he began to find peace enough for his eyes to feel heavy. Only a few minutes after that did he fall asleep, or pass out. He couldn't tell the difference at this point. His body slackened more against her and his hand's grip faded slightly. His breaths and overall expression became more relaxed as he could slip away from the pain, if only for a few hours before it would all start over.

Ayumi just kept talking. Once one story ended, she immediately moved into another so her voice wouldn't give pause. It was the only thing she could do for him, and she honestly felt some relief in the burning anxiety in her stomach that she could give him this. The other victims... she didn't know if she could say she was cold to them, but she did try to block out their existence. Either way, she was useless to them. At least now she could help Yoshiki find some peace. She felt herself relax a bit as he slipped into unconsciousness. She silently hoped he would pass away from that. Maybe the killer slipped up and the internal bleeding would finish him. She just didn't want him to have to continue going through this. The only reason the killer was pulling this act out as long as possible was because of their reactions that were magnified from being close friends. Her throat was beginning to hurt, her mouth and throat felt so dry from continually talking and that he hadn't given her any water today. With him asleep, she figured she could stop talking. If he began to stir, she'd pick up another story. But for now, she would go silent. She nestled her head against his lightly, her eyelids beginning to become heavy. She told herself she should stay up and aware, but it wasn't long until the darkness swallowed her.


	9. Chapter 9

It came morning much too soon, but in their situation, it was best that time just stopped. Yoshiki was jolted awake by already being undone from the pole, pulled from his comfort. **"Let's see... Where did we leave off?"** Yuuya asked himself, tapping the dull side of his knife against his chin as he dragged Yoshiki away. He loved the stabbing and burning combo too much to switch things up... plus, it provided adequate pain. Though, he noted that the boy had a lot less fight in him than he had yesterday, if he had any at all. If this was going where he assumed it to be, maybe today would be his last play day, and tomorrow both their lives would be cut off for good... Well, he'd enjoy it as much as possible today. Everything was as it was yesterday, as if the two had only gotten a small breather on the same day.

Ayumi jerked awake when Yoshiki was pulled away. She blinked in confusion, the light coming in from the windows unexpected. They had managed to sleep a long time, which was good. Otherwise Yoshiki would have been forced to suffer through his pain. Although, now he was going to be thrown right back into the rough of it. She just wanted release from all of this, for both of them. She was sick of watching death and pain, while the killer only seemed to be enchanted by it. She wouldn't even bring herself to scream, because her emotions only fueled him. Her energy was waning, she couldn't keep up the high level of stress and fear. She was close to shutting down but was drifting in despair and depression. She wanted to be numb... to feel nothing, but all she felt was a shaking in her bones brought by hopelessness.

Yuuya continued the torture, and Yoshiki for some time couldn't hold down his voice. But... he desperately wanted to be killed. For this to end... and he may know the way to. The man did this to get satisfaction from his pain, his reaction... But, at this point, he felt it was possible to hold back his reactions. That would take the fun out of it... Then his death could come sooner... maybe even today.

It was sunset when Yoshiki finally was able to take down his voice to just mere, held back grunts. Yuuya had been frustrated by this and attempted to hurt him worse, but had to keep in mind not to kill him. Ugh... Well, he had seen this coming by his demeanor when he first unrestrained him. He lacked the will to survive, and was trying to rain on his parade. It worked, but he had gotten enough satisfaction from it regardless. When he sealed his wounds again, which earned a bit more noise that couldn't be held back, he stepped back from his trembling body on the floor. His look was pretty dissatisfied, but he couldn't say he hadn't gotten his fill... A little extra would've been nice, but one person could only handle so much. **"Well... I guess that's that... I'll give you two another night to do whatever you will. It's your last moments together, so make it count,"** he informed the two, but was unsure if either were giving his words the time of day. He went through the routine of chaining Yoshiki up and cleaning around, before leaving. It was turning dark, and again the moon was absent. Shortly after Yuuya left, there was a loud boom of thunder.

Ayumi felt sick, as she normally did during the tortures. The continuing extension of Yoshiki's death broke her heart. She just wanted him to get out of all of this, but he wouldn't be let go so easily. She wondered if it was the repressed reactions that made him push this one more day... After all, he was probably working towards some... grand finale? Who knew. Ayumi had a feeling her "big brother" would be done with her once Yoshiki was gone. She wondered if some poor little girl would end up taking her place... At least she knew he would probably avoid taking another Kisaragi student. Yoshiki, expectantly, looked even worse than he had yesterday. She wondered if the pain was easier to handle or even worse at this point... the body could only feel so much, but the moments of ease may allow his body enough time to rest that the pain came just as heavy the next time. '_Last moments together..._' she thought with lowered eyes. It put a lot of pressure on the long time they'll be waiting. Today was... Sunday? Which meant they most likely wouldn't see him until after school. It was a lot of time, but Ayumi was sure Yoshiki would be in pain the whole way through. **"Kishinuma..."** she whimpered quietly, it was hard to see him in the dark, but the flash of lightning gave her a clear view of him for a second. The boom caused her to flinch, her eyes looking towards the window.

Yoshiki flinched at the lightning's unexpected glow, but at the same time, he always liked the sound of a storm. He glanced at Ayumi, trying to find his voice through pants. This was it... He couldn't waste this night wallowing in pain. He had to fight it. Knowing, without any doubt, that tomorrow was it was a lot scarier than just anticipating it. He actually wanted death to come... but he would never see Ayumi again. He had to fight through this, and at least make this last night one not wasted. **"Yoshiki... if you wouldn't mind... It's a little silly... to be formal, isn't it?"** he asked, trying to find in himself a light-hearted tone, though it was difficult. He wanted to talk tonight instead of hide from the pain in sleep... He didn't want to waste his time with the one he loved.

Ayumi pulled her eyes off the window to look at Yoshiki as he began to speak. She was thrown off for a moment that he was able to speak that much, even if it was still obviously difficult for him. The knowledge this was, without a doubt, their last moments together probably was pushing him. Leave nothing unsaid, and all of that. **"Ah... you're right. It is silly,"** Ayumi agreed with a small smile. Formalities being upheld at moments like this, when confessions had been made, whether her side of it was true or not, was silly. **"Alright... Yoshiki... how are you holding up?"** she asked, because she felt like she needed to use his name, and also she felt it was question she should ask. Even if it was silly since he obviously wasn't doing well.

Yoshiki smiled lightly at the use of his name. It seemed like such a stupid thing to get all hyped up about... but it showed closeness, and that's what he had wanted with Ayumi more than anything. Well... maybe he had always dreamed of an even closer relationship, but that was impossible at this point, if it had ever had a sliver of possibility before. He gulped lightly to keep down an anxious feeling in his stomach, turning his head to try and look out the window. There was a nice, calming sound of rain against the metal roof of the building, and the thunder only added to it. **"Pretty good... considering...,"** he answered with a small laugh, still trying to let their conversation not be plagued by the awful situation they were placed in.

Ayumi's smile faltered for a moment until she decided to just give up trying to concentrate on looking happy or content. It was so dark, except for the moments of flashes. **"That's... good,"** she responded quietly. He was able to talk, so there was that. She looked out to the window, listening to the sounds of the storm. **"My dad used to always tell me during thunderstorms to hide my belly button. He would joke that Raijin would come around, eat my abdomen and take me away. Such a stupid folk belief..."** Ayumi recalled with dulled eyes. Her dad hadn't made that joke in years, since the folk lore only applied to children. She hadn't even thought about it until that moment. Such a little memory that had been hidden inside her mind... She wondered how her parents were holding up... how Hinoe was. It was a little nice to know they were blanketed under the same thundering clouds as her.

Yoshiki listened quietly to the small story of her childhood. He didn't really know much of those stories... Just the ones most people knew, and that was only from other kids telling him. It sort of made him wonder though... Were his parents worried about him?... **"... I bet it was to keep you from getting colds... Parents only seem to tell those sort of stories so kids will obey a certain rule of thumb or something...,"** he commented, getting more accustomed to talking past the pain. He didn't want to voice the concerns he had about his family, because he didn't want this to be a downer. He was sure they were... After all, it's not like they thought he was the scum of the earth. It's just... he hadn't really heard of them for so long, it honestly felt like they were already used to him being gone. It almost felt like nothing would change for them after he died... He wanted to get off that train of thought, though. It was a dark place he didn't want to be in.

Ayumi looked at him thoughtfully, the explanation for some reason never crossed her mind. **"You would think they'd find ways to do that without terrifying kids,"** she said with a light chuckle. After all, she always believed in the supernatural, so a god coming down and devouring her had never seemed weird in her young mind. Even older, she had faith in spirits and ghosts, especially because of her sister. She wondered if, since Hinoe was a medium of some sorts, she'd be able to keep contact with her family after she died.

Yoshiki smiled lightly at her laugh, shrugging lightly. **"Well... I guess they know some kids need a good scare,"** he replied, honestly feeling better as normal conversation entered their situation for the first time. He settled against the pole to get more relaxed, letting out a small sigh. Of course, the pain was still there, but he liked this atmosphere so much better... It honestly felt like they could be like normal friends, like before all this...

Ayumi was beginning to feel herself relax into the atmosphere as well. She knew what was going to happen tomorrow, but it was nice to not let the weight crush their spirits. Even if it did take some ignoring and avoidance to keep the conversation away from the dark subject. **"Well, that, and it is fun,"** Ayumi commented in good humor. **"Especially when you're the one telling the stories,"** she said thoughtfully. How many times had she tried to terrify the group? The fear had been so much more innocent than what she had been put through in the last weeks. They had been genuinely fun times... Satoshi's feminine scream, watching everyone scramble and squirm at the intense bits, and the fact that in the end, it was all harmless.

Yoshiki chuckled at her own comment, a scene in his head quickly playing. Ha, of course... Ayumi would have fun with that. He could just imagine the kid in bed, and Ayumi telling one of her scary stories. He smiled fondly, accidentally entering himself into the day dream. He quickly pulled himself from it though, not wanting to disappear from the conversation or let himself indulge in a silly fantasy. **"I can tell... You're always at your best when you're scaring Satoshi pantless,"** he mentioned with nostalgia, recalling each time Ayumi recounted one of her stories, and how a girlish scream from his best friend wasn't far behind.

**"It was always so easy,"** Ayumi recalled fondly. Of course, Satoshi never noticed she picked on him so much because of her feelings for him. She didn't want to think too much about that, though. The feelings could never be met at this point, but Yoshiki wasn't a bad alternative to at least test how it may have felt. **"I could never manage to freak you out, though,"** she said with a faint smile. He seemed entertained enough from them, probably in part to Satoshi's reaction, but she never saw him react like the others.

Yoshiki glanced at Ayumi, starting to feel a bit worn, but he was determined to remain attentive. Mm... he had never reacted like anyone else. He was just a little more impervious to things like scary stories or movies. **"Yeah.. I don't scare easily... I probably wasn't very fun to tell stories to,"** he mentioned with a small sigh. He guessed... reactions _were_ everything. He didn't want to say that out loud though, for fear that it was too much of a resemblance to their ordeal. As he sat, he thought back on the relationships he had built over his second year... The friends he had managed to make, and he had developed a strong affection... And now that he was thinking about that, he noticed telling Ayumi about his love hadn't really changed much. He knew she had only told him the same to give him some peace of mind, but it just seemed like a detail that was put to the back of their minds. He guessed the situation contributed a little... but he'd like to think that in their normal lives, if he had told her and she didn't feel the same way, that they could still continue on like normal just like this.

Ayumi looked at him, a flash of lightning illuminating his features for a moment. She knew they couldn't keep up this talking forever, although she found herself becoming afraid of the silence that would eventually fall over them. **"I wouldn't say that. I always like a challenge,"** she noted lightly, a weak smile on her face. Heh... her and Ms. Yui had been planning a great way to scare the group at the cultural festival, depending on who stuck around to clean or not. It was a shame she would miss it. **"Hey... uh... I'm curious,"** she suddenly began. She paused, debating if she should change the topic to a more depressing place. There was burning curiosity that made it impossible not to, though. **"Did they pick a new class rep?"** she asked quietly. They would have to at some point... and since the cultural festival was coming up, someone would have to take the position, if not the name.

Yoshiki made a small hum, guessing that was true... If everyone was as easy as Satoshi, it would get old. Too bad she'd never get the chance to best him, though... Ugh, no! Get away from those thoughts... He looked at her expectantly as she started to ask something. He blinked, thinking on it for a short moment. **"Nn... I don't really know... I've sort of... been in a daze for the last week or so... But I think someone said they're discussing it, so I guess not yet. I guess it was a way to keep up hope, since replacing you is sort of a way of giving up, I guess...,"** he told her truthfully, also noticing it was the first time he mentioned how zoned out he had been. He wondered... would she really be disappointed in him after his poor performance this week?... He didn't guess so, and it was a silly question, but he always wanted to prove to her that he could do it, so it became somewhat of a habit to fear her disapproval.

Ayumi wasn't so sure why she asked the question when she could have assumed the answer. Of course someone would have to take the position at some point, but they were probably trying to wait until... well, until there was a body. There was something that made her feel horribly bitter that she would be replaced... that her existence was ultimately going to fade from mattering. Which, may be what everyone's death ultimately leads to. Living is about the living, not the dead. She wouldn't feel so awful about everything if she had gotten a chance to live her life, though. Becoming an illustrator, having kids, traveling, and everything else she ever wanted was being pulled away by a killer's cruel hand. **"Ah- that makes... sense...,"** she got out between weird raspy breaths. She couldn't cry. It was all she ever did anymore. Plus, it would just be selfish considering Yoshiki was the one closer to death at that moment.

Yoshiki noted her strange breathing, alerted that maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. His eyes went to the floor. His hand moved hesitantly in the dark, using memory from the lightning strikes to take hers. It was more of a comfort than anything... It was the best, and only, thing they could do for each other. **"Sorry... I didn't mean...,"** he started to say, but was fumbling his words a little._ -to upset you..._ He didn't have the voice to finish what he wanted to say though, because he was starting to break down. After all... the reality of this hit them hard, when they thought about it so simply. Tomorrow, they would die.

Ayumi's attempt to hide her near-tears state turned out to have been poorly done when she felt Yoshiki's hand take her's. The action was sweet, and the gesture was appreciated. Still, it made the tears feel that much harder to fight off. Her hand clutched against his tightly. She had the small urge to huddle up against him as she did the first night, but she was too weary of his wounds to try it. **"N-no, it's nothing you..."** she choked, shaking her head lightly. Her eyes were welling with tears, causing the darkness around her to become even more obscured. **"It's j-just-this... this shouldn't be happening...,"** she said with a wavering voice. It was so unfair! They did nothing to have this evilness be brought upon them. They had been living their normal high school lives! It wasn't fair that one person could destroy so many lives on a whim.


	10. Chapter 10

Yoshiki went thoughtfully quiet, focusing on the warmth of her hand. The warmth that'd be gone tomorrow... It seemed their attempts to avoid the reality of where they were had been to no avail. It really wasn't fair... but that didn't matter. Just because you did good things or stayed on the right path gave you no special immunity to the horrors of the world. Really, who was put through these things was up to whoever was doing them. It had nothing to do with karma, or fate. It's how things worked in this terrible, unfair world... It's true that life held good things too, that made the bad worth it, but he and Ayumi wouldn't get that part... It had been stolen from them. **"You should cry... if you need to,"** he advised, since it would let off some of the pressure on her mind. It was unhealthy to hold it in...

The moment Yoshiki advised her to cry, it was like floodgates had been broken open. She was so sick of crying, because it didn't do any good, but it had physically hurt holding it in. The sobs wracked her body as heavy droplets fell. The occasional boom of thunder would drown out her wails, but she couldn't hold back the raw emotions anymore. She wasn't ready to die! And Yoshiki couldn't be either! He had been working so hard to turn his life around, and now he would never reap the benefits of that hard work. She knew life had no guarantees, and that it never played out fairly, but she had never thought it could be so horribly cruel.

Yoshiki listened with an aching heart, eyes aimed at the ground thoughtfully. He took his hand from hers, quickly moving it around her shoulders to pull her closer. He wasn't doing this for his own satisfaction... He really just wanted to comfort Ayumi. Despite all that he had been through, Ayumi still was at the top of his priorities. He knew he couldn't make this all okay, or save her... but he still wanted to be there for her as much as he could. His wounds ached at the movement and pressure of Ayumi, but it hardly phased him. It'd be sad that through all this, he'd let that be a barrier between him and helping Ayumi get through this as best as he could.

Ayumi hadn't expected him to pull her closer to him, but she instantly melted into the contact. She buried her head against him, unable to stop everything from hitting her. They were going to die. This was genuinely their last moment together, and it was breaking her heart. There was so much to do, so much to experience, but that would all be lost on them. This was as far as they could go... maybe she'd be better off not thinking about the life she was losing and just try and take what she could from the hours left. Her sobs eventually died away, the tears unable to fall anymore. Her heaving settled down, but she didn't move off of Yoshiki. **"Sorry...,"** she said quietly, when she had finally been able to find her voice.

Yoshiki closed his eyes for a short moment as he let her cry, occasionally tightening his grip and leaning her closer. The contact somewhat calmed him down too... so he guessed it was somewhat selfish... Or maybe just something that served some good to both of them. His eyes opened, but just stared ahead. **"It's alright..,"** he said softly, lessening his hold on her somewhat in case she wanted to pull away. He didn't want to make her feel like she had to stay there... He'd like it if she did, though.

Ayumi was a little surprised how comforted she felt in Yoshiki's arms. She felt better... safer, almost. It was just a generally wonderful feeling to be so close, even in the midst all the wretchedness of this place. Even if her heart wasn't racing in her chest and there were no butterflies, she felt content. Which was all she could ask for in these final hours. She pulled her head away a little, so she could look up at him. Their lips were close and a small thought trickled into her head. '_One last thing to cross off my bucket list..._' Those butterflies she had noted not feeling began to appear, though in a very small number. She wasn't romantically interested in Yoshiki, but the fact was romance was something that really only mattered when you had time to spend together. They didn't have years, they had hours. She wouldn't even have much time to regret this, if she did do it. **"Y...Yoshiki...,"** she said softly, feeling like she needed to ask permission before moving forward.

Yoshiki was actually close to nodding off when he heard Ayumi's voice. He glanced down, a painful jolt hitting his heart. She was close... really close. He stared a moment in her eyes, feeling his face light up, though that didn't really matter in the darkness. He finally pulled himself from his daze after a minute, trying to respond as if nothing was wrong with him. **"A-Ayumi?"** he questioned with a raised brow, mentally cursing at the stutter. He was genuinely curious what she wanted, though. The fact that she wasn't interested in him was well known, so his mind didn't go to those places right off the bat.

Ayumi was a bit embarrassed by all of this, but longstanding consequences weren't in question. Plus, it was a pretty innocent gesture but at the same time, it was her first kiss. And possibly last. It felt stupid not to indulge in the feeling at least once, just because she was a little nervous about the entire thing. She was stunned for a moment with use of her first name, but it just pushed her forward with the decision even more. The two of them were close, in a lot of respects. This wouldn't be such a weird jump or request. **"Can I...?"** she began to question, but her voice began to faze out. She was hoping she didn't have to finish the question. Knowing Yoshiki, though, he normally needed more bluntness towards him to understand.

Yoshiki just stared at her, the question not clarifying what she wanted. Kissing her was such a far-off, outlandish dream, so he'd never think of it unless told straight up. **"I don't... understand,"** he admitted with a small frown, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Ayumi let out a shaky sigh, her nerves still getting her despite how little this may be. Of course he didn't understand the small, half question. She couldn't blame him, but at the same time she was embarrassed that she was going to have to say it aloud. Well, it wasn't like the answer would be 'no.' **"Can I... kiss... you?"** she asked quietly, eyes squeezing shut as she felt her entire body heat up from such a simple request.

Yoshiki's face turned a more red tint at the clarification of what she wanted. Huh? Why would-... well... it was their last night on earth. He guessed it was more of an experience thing than to do with him specifically... Still, that did little to put down his joy at this small request. He... would get to kiss Ayumi?... **"Oh, ahh... I guess,"** he answered, starting to become worse with words as this carried on. His heart beat painfully against his chest and his face was burning, and while she couldn't see him, he was certain she could tell by his voice, if she couldn't feel his heartbeat.

Ayumi swallowed thickly, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She could hear nervousness in his voice, but she knew he had to want to try this. Maybe even more than her, considering he actually did love her. The thought just made her face grow a deeper shade of red. She couldn't turn away from the desire to experience this one last thing. She nodded lightly, unsure if he could even see it in the darkness. She shifted a little, so her head moved closer to his. With a jolt she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips firmly against his.

Yoshiki couldn't have prepared for the sensation he had long yearned for. It was so nice... and made a warmth spread all the way throughout his body. His eyes shut as he enjoyed the feeling of her soft lips, almost feeling like it melted his pain away. The hand around her shoulders relaxed, dropping to instead to hold her waist. If he had the use of both his hands, the other would probably be tangled in her hair. This... At least he got to do one thing he had always dreamed of, even if she didn't feel the same. It was so much better than in his imagination... but that was to be expected. He almost didn't want it to end, but it had to eventually. In the mean time, he'd just absorb every moment's bliss while he had the chance.

Ayumi's free hand managed to tangle itself into his hair, since she didn't want to rest it on his shoulder since it had been stabbed. The feeling was foreign, new, and exciting. She felt a small twinge that she wouldn't be able to explore it more, but she let that thought wash away as she let herself absorb the feeling of his lips. She eventually tugged back, face red and unsure of what she could possibly say now. Her chest heaved slightly as she felt somewhat out of breath. Not that the kiss had been passionate or deep, but it manged to leave her body working in overtime.

Yoshiki's breaths were heavier as well, his eyes focused on her. There was no doubt left in his mind... It wasn't just a crush, it was so much more powerful. He wanted to protect her... and while their deaths were imminent, he still felt like he had a chance to save her, even if it was small. It would all depend on what the killer chose to do ultimately, though. He moved his hand to the back of Ayumi's head, pulling her to his chest. He wished this didn't have to happen... That maybe if he had stayed after school to offer to walk home with her until the killer was caught, neither of them would be killed tomorrow. But ifs or buts wouldn't change anything... It was what it was. He laid his head against her's, trying to prepare for their lives to be cut off tomorrow. It felt wrong to die so soon... when they had the right to so much more. He closed his eyes with heavy thoughts, figuring the kiss would be the end of their final moments. Or at least, it felt like it tied everything up, as much as it could be, anyways.

Ayumi leaned into his chest, feeling a lump in her throat as silence fell over them. It seemed that there was nothing left to say or do... they would just keep each others company until the moment came. She was too tired to keep thinking of how unfair it all was, the possible future they could have had, or how much she still had to do. She reflected on Asuka, Nori, and Kado... Their deaths had weighed her down, their screams still echoing in her head. At least, she wouldn't have to live very long without Yoshiki. Her arm wrapped around him, holding him tightly as she tried to come to terms with their deaths. Though, even in death, she wasn't sure if peace would come.


	11. Chapter 11

Yuuya came in a few hours after school. It was still raining, so his hair and shoulders were a bit damp, but the solemn weather fit the atmosphere nicely. It was like a movie scene in a tragedy. **"Well... time's up,"** he called out in a bit louder voice than normal, to wake them up from their seemingly comfortable slumber. **"Any last words?"** he asked as he twisted the knife in his hand's anxiously.

Yoshiki looked up, resolve burning strong in his chest. He nodded lightly at Yuuya, glancing at Ayumi a moment before voicing his request. He still... wanted to protect her, if that was only to be from a painful death. **"Make Ayumi's fast,"** he told him, his voice unwavering and his hand still cradling her head close.

Yuuya was quite intrigued. So, he was asking him not to torture her? Interesting... It wasn't outlandish, like 'let her go'... Hmm... Well, he was willing to compromise, if the boy felt so strongly about it. **"Hm... I might... if you take the place,"** he offered, still playing with the knife in his hand. Since he had adequately tortured the boy, he had been planning to make Ayumi's death as painful as possible and the boy's quick, but... he guessed he had gotten enough enjoyment out of her. Enough to be able to make an exception... if the boy took the pain that had been intended for her.

Yoshiki was unshaken by the result of more pain. He was actually more thankful the killer was even hearing him out. **"I don't care what you do to me... Just don't make Ayumi suffer,"** he answered sternly. It was true the killer could go behind his back and kill her slowly anyways... but if he was going to do that, why take the time to lie to him in the first place? It wasn't like he'd be alive to feel the pain of betrayal.

There was always a chill that ran through Ayumi's bones as Yuuya came into the building. At least... this would be it. She nestled close to Yoshiki, the fear of everything that was about to happen made her begin to tremble lightly. She met his eyes before he suddenly made a request. She tensed, her mind stalling in surprise because they hadn't talked about anything like that! She didn't want Yoshiki suffering anymore than he had to! **"No! Yoshiki, I don't want that!"** she said urgently. She wasn't willing to let him take that burden. She would rather him just go on, and for her to deal with whatever the killer had prepared for her. He wouldn't draw it out for days with her like he had with him. She was scared of dying painfully, but she wasn't willing to let Yoshiki pull out stupid chivalry like this. How much longer could he even last? Two days in a row of stab and burn wounds... his body would quickly shut down completely. If Yuuya didn't feel that Yoshiki took the full force of what he intended for her, he could end up being tortured longer for no good reason.

Yoshiki didn't answer Ayumi, instead looking Yuuya dead in the eyes. So... he was this intent? Well, Yuuya didn't really have a problem with it... Really, he had gotten a lot of pain out of the two of them already, so this wasn't a bad deal... He could at least show his generosity. **"Alright... I'll humor you, if you're so dead set on it,"** he finally said after a minute of pondering, wiping his knife off a little on his shirt. He pulled the two apart and restrained both their other hands, so there would be no fighting back. He readied his knife, grabbing Yoshiki's head and forcing it against the pipe, so it wouldn't be able to move. His smile grew as he sat the tip of the blade against his left eye lid, despite the rebellious look in his other, open eye. He knew, even though yesterday he had kept his silence, that he'd get the last few screams Yoshiki had in him, so it wouldn't be a joyless torture. He paused, drawing out the wait of nervous uncertainty for his two victims. He loved this part as well, so he chose to revel in it a little bit before starting.

**"What!? No!"** Ayumi snapped, an anger igniting in her that her burden was being shoved off to Yoshiki. She didn't want to be cowardly, or a drain, or taking from him in their last hours of life. This wasn't fair! She'd have to watch Yoshiki get tortured even more, and he deserved to just get his rest now. She watched with wide eyes as the knife was brought to Yoshiki's eye. She jerked forward in a small lunge for Yuuya, but her arms were caught by the chains around her wrists. **"STOP IT!"** she screamed, echoing the same thing she begged the first day he went through these motions. **"Just let him die!"** Ayumi begged. Angry, hot tears began to spill as her arms yanked at the chains in a small, desperate attempt to stop this. They were so close, but she had no way of moving. She just kept pulling and struggling, as if she could wear the chains down by sheer force of will.

Yuuya became more egged on by Ayumi's desperate screams. She still had plea that sounded like music to his ears, which made this a good deal on his end too. He had grown too accustomed to Ayumi's mental screams of agony to switch to physical now, so he guessed this suited their end. The knife was slow, taking even a few moment to simply pierce the skin. It caused a flinch in Yoshiki's body, be he was overall trying to be as strong as he could for as long as he could, for Ayumi's sake. Yuuya knew that would change though. Each minute only brought the knife down a short distance, which was a good thing for now, but when the pain really began, anyone would wish for it to just hurry and dive in completely.

Within moments, as Yuuya predicted, Yoshiki's screams resurfaced, unable to be kept down from the searing pain striking him in his eye. His back arched further the deeper the blade sunk into his eye, the pain hot and unbelievable. It was worse than just simple stabs into flesh and muscle. His yelling voice began to crack and get interrupted by deep breaths of air, and his brain was in a deep panic. It seemed to last for hours, the agony destroying his sense of time, or any of his other senses. The pain began to feel deep, almost to the back of his head. It was sickening feeling that made his stomach turn, but he couldn't discern one feeling from another in this state. His screaming never ceased, and his entire body was stricken with tremors as he felt a sickening _scrape_. The internal sound echoed in his ears. It was the most disgusting thing he had ever had to hear.

With the end reached, Yuuya seemed content. He had been able to drag that out a considerable amount of time, and he felt... very satisfied. In one last movement, he jerked the knife upwards, causing devastating damage to Yoshiki's brain. Just like that, his body stopped, except for the occasional after-death twitch of muscles. Yuuya jerked the knife out, spraying a trail of blood behind it. He let go of Yoshiki's head, letting it tilt to the side, his right eye dark and empty. That had felt extremely good. He gave Ayumi a twisted, gleeful look, reveling in how distraught she must be. He wouldn't torture her... at least, not physically. He flicked the knife in her direction, slinging the blood onto her with sick enjoyment.

Ayumi stared in horror, her begs not ceasing as she desperately wanted him to just end it with a quick cut to one of his arteries. The knife was being pushed painfully slow into him. Ayumi felt nauseated just imagining the pain, even as Yoshiki tried to stay strong. The moment his yells rang out into the empty room, she felt something crack inside of her. She wasn't sure what, it just felt like everything was shutting down. Her yells and pleas died, turning inward and creating a horrible shivering. Ayumi's eyes widened as the knife was pulled out, the blade coated in blood and flesh. She couldn't stop herself from then looking at Yoshiki, coming to realize that he was dead. Yoshiki was really dead. She would never hear one of his smart ass comments or deep chuckles or just... his voice. Everything that was Yoshiki was wiped out in that moment. She hardly had a moment to digest that fact when the knife was motioned towards her and his blood splattered onto her. Yoshiki's blood. She clenched her jaw, biting back a scream. She was trembling violently, unable to stop the endless stream of tears from spilling out. She jerked, trying to get the blood off, feeling dirtied by its contact on her. She found her eyes coming back to Yoshiki, glued on the eye that was no longer there. Blood was streaming from the hole, and she felt that fire of anger in her burst to life in a way that made her sure that she if could hold that knife in her hand, she would plunge it into Yuuya's head just as he had done to Yoshiki.

Yuuya stepped over to Ayumi, knelling down and holding her head almost in the same position, though tilted slightly up. **"I'm a man of my word... You're lucky to have a person who cares-ah, I mean, _cared_ about you so much to take your place,"** he said with sick amusement, giving off a low chuckle. He moved the knife, moving the side against her face to 'clean it off', before placing it on the side of her neck. **"It was fun... But it's time for us to say goodbye, little sister,"** he said with a tilt of his head, quickly slitting her throat from ear to ear. He stood and stepped back, feeling pretty accomplished with his work. They were definitely the most fun he had had so far... but he'd keep going as long as the police didn't catch him. He wanted to take all he could from this experience. He cleaned himself up, looking over at the two bodies. Now, how would he dispose of them... It had better be dramatic, for a perfect end to the _Missing Students of Kisaragi_ news report.

* * *

Satoshi's mom was up, sitting in her chair and quietly sipping at her coffee. It was morning, and her and Satoshi had been having breakfast. Yuka was still in the shower, as she had been late to get up. The news was on the TV, a channel the family watched religiously now for news on the killer... though she was also aware that Satoshi watched it mainly for information on his friends that had gone missing. It was a terrible thing for the students to go through... God, if she was one of those parents... Ugh, she didn't even want to think about it.

Suddenly, one of the reporters talked about a development on the serial killer case. The mother sat more up right and alert, taking a small, nervous sip of her coffee. She had a bad feeling that it was nothing but more bad news...

_'As of this morning, around thirty minutes ago, the sixth and seventh victims of the serial killer were found by a Kisaragi High teacher on their way to the school. This finding ends the two-week long grueling search for the two missing Kisaragi Academy students, Shinozaki Ayumi and Kishinuma Yoshiki.'_

The mother tensed as the pictures of the two were shown, her hands around her cup clenching nervously. She wanted desperately to click off the news, but at this point, that wouldn't help anything. She restrained from looking at Satoshi, her eyes kept towards the screen. If he needed comfort, she was there, but... He may not want it.

_'They were discovered on the desolate road to the school, most likely where they were first abducted, consistent with other victims being left where they were suspected to be taken from. One was left over the other, and police suspect they were killed around the same time. Kishinuma Yoshiki was similar to other victims,-'_ The mother, who held a hand to her mouth with a look of distress, could only assume that meant he had been tortured... _'-though Shinozaki Ayumi had been killed by a slit throat. Police are unsure of the reasoning behind the break in M.O, but are driven harder to find the monster who caused such a tragedy at the peaceful school of Kisaragi. More updates later, and possible interviews with other teachers, this afternoon.'_

The news went on to say that schools in the area had closed, so to prevent anymore kidnappings. The mother was surprised they hadn't beforehand, but was relieved her children could stay home with her for the time being. Still, there was a heavy silence, only broken by the drone of the weatherman. Today was going to be rainy too...

Satoshi just had a couple pieces of toast for breakfast, since stomaching things was difficult. His sleep had been shot to hell since Yoshiki had gone missing as well, so he had taken up the habit of drinking coffee to get him through the day. His eyes stared blankly at the television, the news talking about some sort of legislation that may be going through. He didn't care about most the stuff the news talked about, but he had probably watched hundreds and hundreds of hours in the last weeks. The only time he ever became alert was with mention of the serial killer. When an announcement of a development popped up on the screen, his eyes focused and he began to listen what what was actually being said.

Dread filled every ounce of his being when _sixth and seventh_ was said. His hand dropped the half-eaten piece of toast onto his place. His hand moved onto his stomach, trying to use the warmth and pressure of his hand to stop the turning inside of him. It was seconds later when his greatest fear was thrown at him. The world felt like it was crumbling around him, confirmation of two of his best friends death staring him in the face. His eyes stayed glue on the television. His eyes narrowed at the pictures of the two came up on screen. He couldn't believe... he would never see them in person again.

The news report continued on as it did for the other victims, but this time it felt so much worse. Like a knife inside of him being twisted as their deaths were recounted. He absorbed the details, trying to come to terms with it. It would be impossible, though. Their last moments on earth... must have been painful and terrifying. That in itself was enough to drive him mad. He felt a twinge of relief that he wouldn't have to deal with school today. He didn't think he could have either way.

**"I'm going to go lay down,"** Satoshi told his mother in a leveled voice. He was trying to keep some composure in front of her, because he didn't want her to try comforting him. He wanted to be alone in his room for a bit. He needed to reflect and digest all of this.

Once in his room, he collapsed onto his bed, still in school uniform. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, staring at it blankly. They all... must have seen the report, right? There's probably barriers and blocks to getting to the school at this point, so even if anyone tried to get to school, they would quickly find out that something was amiss. He laid his arm across his eyes, his breathing deep and purposeful.

When Yoshiki had disappeared all those days ago... Satoshi had assumed he was just skipping school. It caused such a fire in his gut that he went to Yoshiki's apartment and knocked for minutes. At no response, he went to where Yoshiki worked to ask his boss if he had seen him. At that point, Satoshi had just assumed he had hidden away. After all, he had seemed in such a daze from Ayumi's disappearance that Satoshi hadn't known what to expect of him. When he got to the music store, Yoshiki's boss had been pretty concerned. '_He had a shift last night and never came in. He's never missed a shift before without at least calling in,_' the older man had said. It was then that Satoshi felt that same crash around his ears as the morning the police came in to Kisaragi to ask about Ayumi.

Satoshi was horrified that all of a sudden, two of his best friends were wiped from existence. Yoshiki and him would never hang out again... Ayumi would never terrify him with one of those stories. Surreal didn't even begin to explain it. He felt like he would wake up, come to school, and the two of them would be in their seats. They'd scoff and laugh at him when he told them of his awful nightmare and tell him he needed to buck up. That wouldn't happen, though. When school eventually resumed, those seats would be empty. They'd have to vote for a new class representative, not that Satoshi could even see anyone willing to try and take that role.

How were... the others doing? He would guess, whenever they all got the news, Mayu would look to Sakutaro for comfort... and Naomi would look towards Seiko. He felt... oddly out of place. His best friend was dead. The person he would normally look to, Yoshiki, was dead. He gritted his teeth together as his controlled breathing faltered. His eyes were burning, but he squeezed them shut in order to fight back the tears.

This was so wrong. He uncovered his eyes to open his phone, but he didn't see any messages. Everyone was probably absorbing this by themselves, at first. He hoped they could all meet up, but he sort of doubted that would happen at first. They may not all see each other... until the funerals. He wondered if Yoshiki's parents would be giving him a proper send-off... Satoshi hoped so. Even if they had their issues with their son, they probably regretted how everything ended. Especially since Yoshiki had worked so hard to push that unambitious side of him away.

**"Man, this is all so fucked up,"** he muttered as he dropped his phone aside. He felt sick, just repeating the details of the report in his head. Yoshiki had died painfully..., and even if Ayumi's death had been quick, it couldn't have been easy. She had been missing for weeks... so, the killer must have been using her differently than his other victims. How, he wasn't sure. Either way, Ayumi had probably been destroyed psychologically by the end of it. At least... he hoped... they had each other at the end. Of course, he had no clue how the killer went upon things and what happened. There was the chance they could have been together though, which was a little comforting. That they could lean on each other in those final moments.

Hot tears spilled from the corner of his eyes, falling down the side of his face onto his sheets. They deserved so much more. What would have happened if he had stuck close to Yoshiki? If he asked Ayumi if she wanted to walk home together? Could he have actually stopped the two of them from being caught into that awful situation? It didn't matter, though. Nothing mattered because it had all happened. The choices made and the moments past were permanently etched into time. He could torture himself of the what-ifs forever, but in the end it didn't matter. Only one question mattered at that moment:

_What now?_


	12. Chapter 12

Yuuya felt good. Like... really good. As he watched the news report with his distressed parents, he took mental joy in imagining how the students who knew the two were taking it. Haha, especially that small girl that was in their class... He wished he could personally see her break down, but sadly, he was restricted to only dreaming of it. He was a little disappointed that school was closed, though. That meant he couldn't kill for a while, and he'd maybe even be caught before school let back in... Oh well, he had had a fantastic run. He would've liked to kill Kurosaki, but Yoshiki had ended that dream by being the second student from Kisaragi. Mm, still... he wasn't sure if he'd trade experiences. That had been a fun kill, with the combination of his favorite tool and Ayumi's attachment to the boy.

He laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and feigning coming to terms with two of his peers being found dead. He had left the dinner table without a word, and his parents hadn't questioned him, so the silent 'dealing with it' was the best act he could have chosen from. But really, he was content with the world. If he was caught now, no one would deny he had had a good, or some would consider 'tragic', run of it. Seven victims without being caught... Haha, he would surely go down in history! That's not really what he had done this for, but it was a nice bonus.

Though, as he laid there, something entered his head. It was a weird sensation... Like his body was turning cold and his mind was going fuzzy. What the?... He sat up, slightly alert. He felt a wave nausea, before everything went black. It felt... like he had been pushed to the back of his own mind. It was a very strange feeling, and he couldn't place what was causing it...

Yuuya went down the stairs, his eyes dark as he turned towards the door. **"Where are you going?"** his mother asked curiously, but got no response. Of course it was weird... but she just assumed her son was going through a rough time. She was a bit concerned, but thought it best not to pester him. At this time, there wasn't much a parent could do...

But in fact, this was not her son. He was possessed.

Yuuya walked from his home to the train station, and went to the district of the school. He traveled the road that went towards the school, but it wasn't closed off, since it went to other places, like houses, besides the school. The bodies were found about two miles further up, so he encountered no one on his zombie-like walk. He cut a sharp turn into the grass, towards the forest, with his body rocking from side to side with each step. When he got to the tree line, though, his body fell to the ground, unconscious. From the bushes reached out three hands, one mutilated, one burnt, and one with missing fingers. They grabbed at him, tugging him into the foliage and deeper into the forest...

Dull blue eyes rested on the large door of the abandoned building. Ayumi could have never predicted this is what would happen. When her throat had been slit like a pig's, she had thought that fuzzy darkness around her was the end of the line. Apparently that sleep would escape her once again. She could say she woke as a different person- if one could be so inclined to call her that. After all, she certainly didn't feel like herself, a detail her spirit couldn't even comprehend. Those dreams of being an illustrator... those beliefs in nonviolence and doing little harm... those pieces that made her a decent person were no longer registered. Maybe they were repressed bits of herself, buried deep in her subconscious. Now, though, she felt an overwhelming thirst for blood.

The numbness that enveloped her being could focus on only one thing. Revenge. She knew that Yuuya was still out there, untouched. It was a thought was already sending her into a hazy madness. She wanted him brought to her. She wanted to do everything in death that she couldn't in life. Her eyes flickered in acknowledgement as the doors finally swung open. The others, those she had watched died, came pulling her oh-so charming killer into the building where he had dragged so many others. He was still unconscious, which made her restless. He had to be awake, though. After all, this work was worth nothing if she couldn't hear him scream. A cheshire grin settled onto her face. She watched as the three knew what to do, tying him up as he did everyone of them. Now she just had to wait for the daze of being possessed wore off... Then, she could begin her fun.

Yoshiki stared blankly at Yuuya's restrained body. Even though one of his eyes were ravaged, if one was the subject of his stare, the eye missing seemed to dig further into one's soul. He felt somewhat empty, like he was lacking of everything he was when he was alive. He couldn't even distinguish one thought from another... So instead of using his own words or decisions, he followed anything Ayumi told him, and kept near her at all times. His arm moved around her shoulders protectively, his other arm wound across her side. His head was against her's, but despite the loving clinging, he really had no emotions. The knife slashed any of the individual left of him. The only thing left was blind obedience.

Yuuya awoke in the restraints. What...? He was... Where was he? He looked up, a little groggy, but quickly became aware of his surroundings. What... what was going on here?! He suddenly became panicked, seeing the faces of people who knew were dead. People he knew he saw the life drain from them. What the hell was this?! **"You-!... But you're all dead,"** he stated, as if that'd make the dream disappear. This couldn't be a guilt dream... He had no such feeling for these people. He was proud of what he did... So then... what was happening?!

A small giggle escaped Ayumi as she saw panic reach Yuuya's expression. From the time she had been alive, she only saw cruelty, pride, or not expression at all. Just the small crack in his shell made her feel a rush of life that had escaped her. Her one hand moved, patting Yoshiki on the head like one would a prized pet. She pulled away from his grip, moving towards Yuuya. She knelt in front of him, dark blues dulled except for a glint of insanity. **"Hehehe, that's a good look on you."** Her hand moved onto his cheek. She wasn't sure if it would be cold or a nonexistent touch to him, but she could make out the warmth of his skin. **"I can't wait to hear what you sound like when you scream,"** she said with a low giggle. She wondered if he would beg. Oh, how wonderful would that be...

Yuuya stayed bitterly quiet at the girl before him, though inside he was admittedly panicked. His brain still didn't understand how this was all happening, since he strongly rejected the idea of ghosts. There was no such thing! This had to be some insane dream... He watched as she pulled away from Yoshiki's possessive grasp, the boy simply following behind after like some mindless dog. He guessed that was a good connection... He fought back a smirk and comment about her 'pet', his gut telling him this was no dream. He tensed at the feeling of her cold hand, jolting his mind out of ignorance. He stared at her cold, dead eyes, a sweat droplet trailing down the side of his face. By the sound of things... these people... His thoughts paused and his eyes glanced about the room, seeing the faces of all who died here... These people were going to torture him. Well then... **"Alright... _let's play_,"** he said with a crazed look in his eyes, the smile he wore almost mimicking hers. If she wanted a scream... she 'd have to work for it.

**"Such brave words,"** Ayumi commented, her tone drenched in sarcasm. Bravado was all it was. After all, once death had its cold fingers around your neck, pride and bravery ceased to exist. All humans want is to live and avoid pain. Even the suicidal ones will back out of it when they gave it real thought. **"I wonder... how long that will last,"** she said with a thoughtful tone. She held her hand out and was given a vise. **"I guess we'll just have to see,"** she said with a bubbling excitement entering her tone as her cold grasp pulled one of his hands out in front of her. She let out a little giggle as she forced his hand between the metal plates, closing the plates enough to lightly squeeze his hand. She was willing to sacrifice originality in order to force Yuuya into feeling the pain he wrought upon them. She met his eyes as her hand slowly began to twist the handle to bring the clamps closer together. She kept it at a consistent speed, the pressure building up as it began to crush through flesh and bone in order to meet.

Yuuya tensed as his hand was grabbed. He knew what was coming... but he wouldn't give in so easily. He wasn't just big talk, and had his pride as a killer. It was more insane, yet stronger, than a normal person's pride. Eventually as the grip of the vice tightened, his hand began to hurt, and was eventually in agony, but instead of screaming, his head threw back in maniacal laughter. The rest of the ghosts watched with glazed over eyes, waiting for the moment even his psychotic pride broke into a screaming and sniveling mess. It's what any human was reduced to through this pain. None were immune to it.

Ayumi's hazed eyes glanced over Yuuya in contempt as he began to lose control into laughter. She knew he would eventually crack, but his odd way of dealing with it stirred an anger in her. She finished clenching the plates as close as they could go together. She untwisted the handle to give her enough room to toss the vise aside. She left the crushed hand aside. She was already becoming impatient. She could go through the fire, but she was eager to get to his favorite tool to use. She picked up a bloodied hand, examining it through a crazy gaze. **"Red really is a lovely color, isn't it?"** she asked with a high-pitched giggle at the end. She turned the knife towards him, one hand pulling up the side of his shirt to expose his side. She pressed the tip of the blade against his skin and began the slow descent into him.

Yuuya's laughs died out as the vice was removed, though small breathless chuckles remained with his head back. When the knife began to dig into his side, he only seemed more amused. His own knife, huh? **"EHEHEAAHAAHA, LIKE ME! YOU'RE JUST LIKE ME NOW!"** he screamed out with insanity and large grin, his limbs pulling at the restraints at the searing pain, though Yuuya only continued to laugh. At the sight of the knife slipping into Yuuya's side, Yoshiki couldn't hold back a small, instinctive cringe at the memory of such pain. The pain that was once dull came back in a sharp reminder, especially in his eye, but he remained expressionless behind Ayumi.

Ayumi's dulled eyes snapped into anger as she twisted the knife inside of him in one swipe. She pulled the knife back out, coated in Yuuya's blood. **"No,"** she said in a dark, low voice. **"I'm _NOTHING_ like you!"** she screamed, a clash of her recently lost self and her empty vessel hitting in a feeling of disgust. **"You deserve this! I'm doing the world a favor by ridding you from it,"** she explained as she brought the blade close to examine his blood. The same red that once flowed their her veins. **"Every drop of blood you shed... is _justified_,"** she hissed at him. Her eyes flickered back to the knife, her expression calming back into blankness. She drew the cold metal over her tongue, tasting nothing as the blood ran over her tongue. **"Every drop... you deserve to have wrung from you like a cattle for slaughter,"** she cackled lightly. She turned the knife back, pressing the tip into his shoulder. A crazy grin reappeared on her face she shoved the blade deep into his shoulder.

Yuuya's head dropped with a little swing after the knife was pulled out, his shoulders shaking with a low chuckle. **"If that's what you want to believe...,"** he said in a dark tone, his head lifting and revealing his wide smile, his bangs covering one of his psychotic eyes. **"Once you get a taste of the crimson... You don't just stop,"** he told her in the midst of his chuckles. The stab into his shoulder just resumed his hysteria, as he was determined not to give her what she wanted for as long as he could hold out.

Ayumi's momentary calm slipped once again at his insistence of them being kindred spirits. **"I'M NOT LIKE YOU!**" she screamed, pulling out the knife before shoving it back into his other shoulder. She felt like any self control she may have possessed disappeared at his chuckles. All she could see was red, his blood painting her hands, clothes, and face. **"I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, _I'm NOT_."** The knife went in and out of him so easily. She had enough of a mind to not stab him in a spot that would instantly kill him, but she continued plunging the knife into him. She finally stopped the flurry of swipes to press the tip of the blade against his left eye.

Yuuya was thrown out of sorts near the end of the stabbing frenzy, his voice breaking into the occasional out-of-control shout of pain. At the end, he was panting, his eyes looking skyward and his body racked with spasms from the unexpected trauma. As the knife touched his left eye, the same as he had done to that boy, his right eye met her's. A large, curled grin came back to his face. **"We love it... It excites us,"** he said matter-of-factly, his gaze somewhat unfocused as his eye shook and darkened.

**"You disgust me,"** Ayumi said lowly, her eyes half-lidded as she looked down at him. She wouldn't make this a quick jab, as the other stabs had been. She wanted him to feel every second of the blade digging deeper and deeper into his head. The eyelid was thin skin, the eyeball offered little resistance to the slick metal as well. She kept pressing, her limbs tingling as she saw red spill as the knife dug deeper and deeper. Every noise of pain he made shook her inside in a wonderful way that she couldn't explain.

Yuuya had broken into screams at this point, the slow digging more than anyone could handle. His body began making primal movements, struggling from the restraints in futile attempts to stop the pain plaguing him. His screams grew louder with each movement of the knife, but eventually, he completely went limp. His body twitched, but for the most part, he was silent and motionless. His eye was dark and lifeless, shutting down any suspicion that the twisted killer was still alive. Yoshiki had been suffering in his own way through the event, feeling as if the knife was still being shoved through his eye, but he wouldn't say anything. He'd never go against Ayumi. That, and he wished that pain upon Yuuya as well, so he held down any complaints.

Ayumi's chest heaved in heavy pants. Breathing was something that was no longer necessary but done out of familiarity. Her hand grasped the hilt of the knife tightly, waiting until Yuuya's movements ceased completely. She tugged the knife out, the sound of splitting flesh not hitting her ears. She stared blankly at the boy ahead of her, the one who had caused her so much pain in her life. But... **"I don't... feel better..."** she muttered as she dropped the knife aside, the blood splattering on the floor and metal clanking against the stone. She stumbled up to her feet, looking down at the bloody mess that was her killer. She felt empty. Completely, horrifyingly empty. When she had first come to her new state, she had a drive. She needed revenge, but... now what? No... that didn't work. There had to be a reason why she didn't feel at peace. **"No... that... couldn't have been him,"** she realized, her expression brightening. An unsettling grin shifted onto her face as she stared down at the body. **"I got it wrong... He's still out there."** The realization brought that fire back in the pit of her stomach. It would all be fine. She'd find Yuuya and murder him. Then all would be right.

Yoshiki watched as Ayumi stumbled upwards, moving to tangle himself around her again. His head nuzzled against hers, his right eyes giving her a concerned glance. Something felt off... The malicious intent was back on her face, as if Yuuya's death had done nothing to ease her spirit... and if she was not resting peacefully, he couldn't either. The other ghosts seemed satisfied, disappearing, so that only he and Ayumi remained. If that didn't work... what would they do next? His arms around her tightened, his eye glancing down at Yuuya's mangled corpse. What now?


End file.
